Little Things
by blowflylaura
Summary: When she discovers the true identity of her one-night stand, Quinn's determined to stay away from her. Only problem is, she's never been very good at following orders, especially her own.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee.

A/N: Firstly, I would just like to apologise to anybody who has story alerted, followed or reviewed my other story, What I Know, because at the moment I am completely stuck with it. Every way I try to take it, I end up erasing it because I don't like it. That said, I'll will try and get back to it. However, this idea has been in my head for quite a while so I just wanted to start writing it. It's going to be a slow burner but hopefully you'll enjoy it. If you want to ask a question, drop it into my ask box, the link to my tumblr is on my profile. All mistakes are mine.

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"_They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that when it starts again, it moves extra fast to catch up" – Senior Ed Bloom, Big Fish_

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**Chapter 1:**

Her gaze falls for the third time on the brunette who is currently sitting alone in the corner of the bar. Quinn has been subtly watching her since she entered the club and every so often, she will give the brunette her full attention, in an attempt to figure her out. The woman had walked in and immediately hovered by the door, waiting several minutes before heading towards the bar and ordering a drink. Quinn watched as other people brushed past her in an attempt to get served first and the woman never seemed bothered, she just let it happen and patiently waited to get served.

Quinn admired her for that. If that had been her, she would have quickly lost her temper with the people surrounding her.

After being served, the brunette had walked over to a table in the darkest corner of the bar and took a seat. She didn't speak to anybody in passing and once she placed her drink on the table, her gaze didn't waver from the glass before her.

Yet she never drank from it once.

She still hasn't drunk anything.

Quinn frowns with curiosity at the brunette, cocking her head to the side in interest.

Something about her captivates Quinn.

Maybe it's the way her hair is haphazardly thrown up in a messy bun, strands of loose hair falling around her face and the fact that she's not dressed for a night out, sitting there in a hoodie and jeans.

Maybe it's the way she looks at the drink as if its poison and one sip will harm her.

Or maybe it's because she looks as though she's about to start crying any minute.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Quinn shakes herself out of her reverie and turns her head away from the mysterious brunette to come face to face with a glowering blonde. The woman, whose name she thinks is Amy but she could be wrong, is rather pretty and Quinn knew immediately that she would be easy to get into bed. Despite the wedding ring that sits on her left ring finger; Quinn knew that a few compliments and a faked interest shown in her life would make her putty in her hands.

One thing that has always plagued her and has caused problems in the past is her weakness for married girls, girls in relationships in general. Ever since she was little, she has always wanted things she can't have, be it something as simple as somebody else's Christmas present or a piercing that her mother told her she couldn't get

Once she discovered her sexuality, girls became her prime interest.

She has always wanted the girl she couldn't have, be it the straight girl, the innocent girl, the girl in a relationship or the girl somebody else likes.

She likes the challenge that comes with them.

So when she saw Amy dancing with her friends, she had to approach her. After all, it's been a long time since she has left a club without somebody in tow.

"Of course I'm listening to you," Quinn lies and the frown directed her way tells her that the other girl doesn't believe her. Not that she should, it's obvious that she hadn't listened to anything Amy said. Within five minutes of meeting her, Quinn learnt that Amy liked to talk and Quinn's not really interested in that. She doesn't understand the necessity to have conversations that involve sharing pointless information that neither person really cares about or would remember in the morning.

She's trying to sleep with Amy; it doesn't matter to her where she works or the fact that she's out tonight to celebrate her friend's birthday.

But Quinn nods along every time somebody informs her of these details and plasters an attentive smile on her face because there's no harm in pretending to listen.

"What did I just say?"

Quinn sighs; frustrated that Amy won't let the subject drop. "It's hard to hear what you're saying over the music."

"Well why don't we leave and go somewhere a bit more private? Besides, I can think of better things to do than talk," Amy purrs in Quinn's ear. She knows it's meant to be seductive but if anything, it irritates her for some reason. "My place or yours?"

Normally the answer would be yours; Quinn never takes her one-night stands back to her apartment.

She never has.

The other woman licks her lips before brushing some of Quinn's blonde hair behind her ear. Quinn stares at the woman before her and finds herself struggling to give Amy the answer she's looking for. She is unable to shake the brunette off her mind. She feels drawn to her, almost as if the brunette has a gravitational pull surrounding and Quinn's helpless to it.

All she can do is surrender to it.

For some reason, she doesn't want to leave without meeting the brunette.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

The words come out of her mouth before she can stop them and Amy's mouth opens in shock. The rejection surprises Quinn too, she can't remember the last time she actively turned somebody down.

"You've been hitting on me all night and now I'm saying yes, you're saying no?"

"I'm just not feeling it anymore," Quinn replies truthfully. "It's not you."

The tall blonde's eyes widen and she finishes her drink in one fluid motion, slamming the empty glass against the bar. "Your loss," she spits before storming off towards the toilets.

Quinn sighs heavily, grateful that Amy didn't turn that into an argument, before glancing over her shoulder at the brunette. She's still sitting alone, deep in thought, her drink remains untouched. Quinn remains still for several minutes, observing the other woman silently. She's hesitant to interrupt her as she looks upset and troubled but just as she pushes herself off the bar; she quickly leans back against it as somebody walks over to the brunette and takes a seat opposite her.

She watches their interactions with avid interest, the way the brunette doesn't even raise her head to see who has sat in front of her, the way the man continues talking despite no response, the way the brunette slowly lifts her head and says something that Quinn cannot make out and how the man suddenly stands and walks away from her.

His ego probably bruised at the rejection.

Finishing her drink, she places the empty glass on the bar and strides confidently over to where the brunette is sitting. "Can I buy you a drink?"

She rolls her eyes and mentally berates herself for asking a stupid question, the drink in front of the other woman is untouched so the probability of her wanting another one is incredibly low but it's the line Quinn usually leads with.

It's not too presumptuous and she finds that most people won't turn down a free drink.

The brunette stiffens at the new voice but the fact that it's a woman causes her to look up quickly to see who has interrupted her before she drops her gaze back to her drink. "I already have one."

Quinn's stomach flutters at the sight of the brunette's face up close. She's beautiful and Quinn rakes her eyes over the brunette, subconsciously licking her lips. Her heart constricts a little at the sight of bloodshot eyes, glistening with tears and her tear stained cheeks.

"Another one then?"

The other woman circles the top of her glass with her finger. "Does this usually work for you?" She ask, genuine curiosity painting her face. "Do you buy somebody a drink in the hope they'll drop their panties for you later on?" She removes her finger from the glass and brings her hands together, dropping them into her lap. "Or are you the classy type who sleeps with somebody in the bathroom of the bar?"

They say that within seven seconds of first meeting somebody, you develop your first impression of them. You judge them on their clothes, their appearance or the way they speak. Quinn has a feeling that the brunette's first impression of her isn't a good one and she feels a need to correct her.

She doesn't want the other woman to think badly of her.

"I buy somebody a drink to be nice."

"I think you and I may have different definitions of the word nice."

"Okay, you know what, since clearly all you think I want is sex, why don't I play by your rules. The drink option doesn't seem to be working so would you rather I use a chat-up line instead? I prefer not to use them as I find them too cliché but I do have an arsenal of them."

Quinn takes a seat opposite the brunette, expecting the other woman to tell her to go away but the brunette simply tilts her head to the side in fascination and waits for Quinn to continue. "Shall we start with a funny one? I'm no Fred Flinstone but I can make your bed rock." The brunette doesn't crack a smile but it doesn't deter her. "Maybe you'd prefer cheesy, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" The corners of the brunette's mouth curl upwards ever so slightly. "Or my personal favourite," she lowers her voice to a sultry whisper, just low enough for only the brunette to hear, "if you are what you eat, I could be you by morning."

It's surprising, considering the volume of the music in the club, that when the brunette snorts with laugher, it's all Quinn can hear and she is quite taken aback by the sound. The laugh is much louder than her speaking voice and she finds it cute when the brunette collects herself, a rosy tint decorating her cheeks.

She's still blushing when she speaks. "That's awful."

"It made you laugh though."

The brunette shakes her head slowly before fixating her eyes directly on Quinn's. Quinn inhales sharply at the sudden action, feeling nervous under the intense gaze. "I'm not going to sleep with you."

"That's twice you've assumed that all I want is sex and I don't recall ever saying that. You can't count that chat-up line because that was just a joke. You're the one who assumed that I was, as you so eloquently put it, trying to get you to drop your panties for me."

"I know your type."

Quinn places her hand against her chest feigning shock. "Am I that transparent?"

The other woman smiles shyly before releasing a heavy sigh. "I don't drink."

"Okay then I'll buy you a soft drink," Quinn states, not seeing a problem with this situation.

The brunette shakes her head and grabs hold of her glass, swilling the liquid around, careful not to spill any. "This is a vodka and coke," she explains. "I bought it with every intention of drinking it; why else would somebody purchase a beverage? But I can't bring myself to drink it because I don't drink, I haven't in years."

"Recovering alcoholic?" Quinn probes gently but she receives a quiet no in return. "Don't like the taste?"

"Bad experience with drinking alcohol."

"Then why did you buy one today?"

"People always tell me that alcohol is useful in making you forget and I needed something to help me forget about my day."

"You know it's just a temporary solution?" Quinn replies. "It may work tonight but in the morning, whatever you want to forget, it's still going to be there. You're going to remember it."

"Temporary is better than nothing," the brunette retorts. "Have you ever had a day were you just wanted to drink your troubles away?"

"Try months," Quinn jokes.

"That's how I feel right now and even if I remember tomorrow, at least for tonight, I can forget."

"What was wrong with your day?" Quinn asks softly. The brunette remains silent and she realises that she's not going to receive an answer. She takes a sip of her drink whilst observing the girl opposite curiously. "It's not going to work unless you actually drink it. And until you drink it, I can't buy you another one and I would really like to."

The brunette contemplates the other girl's statement before taking a large gulp of her drink, followed by another and continuing in that fashion until she had finished the drink.

Quinn's eyes widen. "I didn't have you down as the kind of girl who does what people tell her to do?"

"Normally I'm not but maybe it's time for a change. I think it's about time I started doing things I wouldn't normally do."

The blonde smiles widely, becoming more and more impressed with the brunette as their conversation progresses. "Does this mean I can buy you that drink now?"

"I guess what they say is right, third time really is the charm."

Quinn bobs her head before standing and heading towards the bar. She quickly orders two more drink, constantly keeping an eye on her acquaintance, just in case she decides to leave. Quinn wouldn't stop her if she did but she desperately wants her to stay. She pays the bartender, telling him he can keep the change before heading back towards the brunette.

"I'm Quinn by the way," she tells her, placing the drink in front of her and extending her hand.

"Elle."

When Elle takes her hand, Quinn stiffens as the sensation which fills her palm at the touch.

"Pretty name."

She retracts her hand slowly and ducks her head to look at her drink.

"Why did you leave that woman over there?" Elle asks inquisitively. "You'd been talking to her all night and then suddenly you were standing beside me. Did you decide she wasn't worth the chase? Or did you finally notice the wedding ring ergo realise that she wouldn't have slept with you?"

"Ergo?"

"It's a synonym for therefore, one of many like consequently or hence."

"I know what it means."

The right side of Elle's mouth curls upwards as she takes a sip of her drink. "Is that all you got from what I just said?"

Quinn shakes her head. "Of course not, I also got that you've been watching me all night."

"Don't flatter yourself," Elle says. "I like to people watch, I find it interesting and my eyes happened to fall on you and the other woman. Nothing more than that, sorry to deflate your big ego."

"Shame."

"You never answered my question."

"Let's just say that someone else took my interest."

It's only faint but Quinn's sure that Elle's cheeks are tinged with the colour pink. "I guess that because you sat down opposite me, I'm that somebody?"

It's Quinn's turn to smile. "Now who's got the big ego?"

Elle conceals a laugh and takes a sip of her drink, feeling the alcohol slide down the back of her throat. The taste is rather disgusting and she realises that she hasn't been missing out all these years. Still, it doesn't prevent her from taking another sip whilst Quinn does the same.

"I knew Amy was married," Quinn explains. "The woman I was talking to. You asked me if I finally saw the ring, I saw it straight away; it was pretty hard to miss."

Elle blows some of her hair out of her eyes and the blonde watches every movement she makes, no matter how small with a mixture of trepidation and bewilderment. "Even though she was married, you still would have slept with her?"

Quinn holds her hands up. "I'm not claiming to be a saint."

"It's immoral."

"All the good things are."

"Do you not even care?"

Quinn takes a sip of her drink, not liking the direction this conversation is heading. She doesn't want to have to explain her actions to this woman who she barely knows.

"The partner is their problem, not mine," Quinn states. "Besides, I don't do anything they don't want themselves. People can say no you know? It's their choice to sleep with me as much as it is mine."

"So if I told you I was in a relationship, it wouldn't deter you?"

"Are you?"

Elle quirks her eyebrow. "It doesn't matter to you either way right?"

"Not really, the only question is whether it matters to you."

"You've just proved me right."

Quinn frowns. "Right about what?"

"When I said I knew your type, you've just proved me right."

The blonde leans back against her chair with a chuckle. "This should be fun. Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Sex is a game to you; it's nothing more than a bit of fun. You pride yourself on how many women you can sleep with, in fact you probably keep a tally and I'm guessing that you sleep with people in relationships because you like the thrill of it, you enjoy the challenge. Do you want to know what else I think?" Quinn nods. "I think you do it because you're trying to fill a void. Did someone break your heart?" She asks quietly and Quinn swallows nervously. "That flicker in your eyes just then tells me they did. Someone broke your heart, probably your first love and to get over that, you sleep with random women because it's safer that way. You can't possibly get hurt if you don't put your heart on the line. I'm tempted to say you have a bad relationship with your parents but I think that's too cliché, in fact you probably have a brilliant relationship with them."

"Are you done?"

"Not quite," Elle states. "When you asked me about why my day was bad, your voice held sincerity and that tells me that deep down you are a nice person, you just hide behind this bravado, maybe because you feel more comfortable that way and I'm guessing that you only let a few people see the real you, somebody you've known forever perhaps."

Quinn swallows again, feeling considerably unnerved at how accurate Elle's description of her is. She plasters a fake smile on her face and places her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her right hand. "Finished?" The brunette nods, before taking a sip of her drink. "I'm glad."

"You asked," Elle whispers quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

In spite of everything, Quinn finds herself nodding.

"Did I get anything wrong?"

The question lingers in the air like a bad smell and before Quinn can say something back; Elle's phone vibrates against the table. The noise appears to shock Elle and her hands grasp blindly for the phone, diverting the call. She places her hands back in her lap and almost immediately afterwards, her phone starts to vibrate once more.

This time she's quicker to divert the call.

"Sounds like someone wants to get in touch with you."

"They'll have to wait."

The third time her phone vibrates seems to be the final straw and Elle diverts the call before switching her phone off and throwing it into her bag.

"Maybe you should ring them back, it could be important." Quinn takes a sip of her drink as she watches the brunette scowl at her.

"Why are you acting like you care?" Elle spits harshly. "You and I both know you only sat with me because you were hoping you could have sex with me. You don't need to act concerned when we both know you're not."

Quinn can't stop the surprise from filling her face at the venom which suddenly laces Elle's voice. The gentle tone she had earlier has disappeared and Quinn can't understand why.

"Where did that come from?" Quinn questions. "I thought we were having a nice time."

"Our different definitions of nice come into play again here."

She furrows her eyebrows at Elle but the other woman won't catch her gaze. Feeling frustrated at the other woman, she taps her hands against the table and starts to speak. "Since you analysed me, I think it's only fair I do the same. You're beautiful." Elle finally catches her gaze at the compliment. "But you're not aware of it. I think you know you're attractive but the way you blushed earlier when you realised I was interested in you tells me that you don't realise just how stunning you really are. You have morals, that was obvious from your reaction about me and Amy so that leads me to guess that you come from a wholesome family and that's what you want in life, the happy, faithful marriage. You also seem rather innocent which makes me think you're not very experienced when it comes to relationships and sex. I wouldn't be surprised if you're still dating your high school sweetheart," Quinn states. "You didn't tell me to go away the minute I sat down like you did with the guy before me, which makes me think you wanted somebody to talk to and that you enjoyed my company and you know what," Quinn lowers her voice, "I enjoyed yours too."

She's walking away from the table when she hears a faint whisper from Elle.

"I'm not dating my high school sweetheart."

"I don't keep a tally of the number of the people I've slept with," Quinn replies lightly. "I guess we both got something wrong."

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The cold October wind whips through her as she stands against the wall, cigarette in hand. Her hair blows furiously in front of her face and she's given up trying to keep it under control. She brings the cigarette to her mouth and inhales, feeling the rush she gets from smoking seep through her body. She blows the smoke away from her but the wind only blows it back towards her.

She turns her head as the door to the bar opens and smirks at the person stumbling out of the door. "Leaving without saying goodbye?"

Elle's head snaps to the left at Quinn's voice. She smiles drunkenly at her before staggering towards her. Quinn places her free hand on Elle's waist, steadying her.

"I guess you got a taste for alcohol after I left?"

"I may have consumed more alcoholic beverages than I should have," Elle mumbles. "But drunk I am not."

"I can see that," Quinn replies playfully and Elle smacks her in the arm, harder than she was expecting. Elle must realise too because she runs her hand up and down Quinn's arm, apologising quietly. The touch is comforting and Quinn doesn't want it to end.

"Can I have a bit?" Elle asks, gesturing to the cigarette in her hands. Quinn hands it over straight away and chuckles as the brunette splutters and coughs after inhaling the cigarette.

"You don't smoke?" Quinn asks gently and receives a shake of the head. "Why ask for a bit then?"

"Doing things I don't normally do."

"You're just full of surprises aren't you?" Quinn states, smiling softly at Elle who is swaying slightly on the spot. She drops the cigarette to the ground, squashing it with her foot and wraps her hand completely around the other woman's waist, pulling her into her body.

"So were you just going to leave without saying goodbye?"

"I thought you'd left."

"So you looked for me?" Quinn asks. "I'm touched."

"I wanted to apologise," Elle murmurs. "I shouldn't have spoken to you like that, it was rude of me. You were only trying to be nice, even if you did have an ulterior motive."

"My version of nice or yours?"

The brunette scrunches up her nose, mouth opening and closing as she forgets what she wanted to say. In the end she shrugs her shoulders with a chuckle.

"It's okay, I have been given the brush off quite a few times believe it or not," Quinn says quietly before giving Elle a confident smirk. "Besides, I love it when people play hard to get," she flirts, revelling in the smile Elle gives her. The brunette's eyes open and close before she forces them open, attempting to make them stay that way.

Quinn shivers as the freezing cold wind hits her once more. Although she was surprised by the brunette's choice of clothing, she now envied her for it. Elle was probably lovely and toasty right now whilst she was currently losing feeling in her hands.

"Do you want to get out of here before I freeze?"

Elle pushes herself away from Quinn gently but the other woman maintains a slight hold on her, just in case she decides to stumble and fall over.

"I told you, I'm not going to sleep with you."

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much."

"You can't keep trying to get me into bed. It's not fair." Elle admonishes and Quinn finds it adorable when she pouts and stomps her foot.

"Why is it not fair?"

"Because you're hot," Elle shouts before mumbling incoherently under her breath.

Quinn feels heat rising in her cheeks; she never blushes at compliments. She takes a step closer to the brunette, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. "Then why can't we have some fun." Quinn drops her gaze from Elle's eyes to her lips. She leans forward slightly, hearing Elle's breath hitch at the movement. She waits for the other woman to close the gap, wanting it to be her choice. Elle subconsciously licks her lips and leans forward until her lips meet Quinn's.

They meld together like pieces of a puzzle and their lips slide against each other perfectly. Quinn trails her tongue against Elle's lower lips and the brunette parts them just enough for Quinn's tongue to sneak in, stroking its counterpart. Quinn grabs Elle's waist and squeezes her hips before turning them around and pushing her against the wall she had previously been standing against. Elle's hands fly up and grab locks of Quinn's hair. Quinn smiles into the kiss and places her thigh in between Elle's legs, causing the brunette to gasp, enabling Quinn to focus her attention on Elle's neck. She sucks on her pulse point lightly, careful not to leave a mark. She moves her thigh again; connecting it with Elle's centre and trails her hands down the brunette's side, sneaking them underneath the brunette's top. Elle gasps as cold hands touch her warm stomach before she releases a guttural moan as the feeling of Quinn kissing her neck overtakes her, completely forgetting about the cold hands.

Quinn has to stop herself from taking her there and then at the sound of her moans.

Everything about the brunette is turning her on right now.

The laboured breathing, the sudden moans of pleasure she emits, the mumbled 'Quinn' every now and again and the way her hands are still fisting furiously at her hair.

"Come back to mine," Quinn whispers in her ear and Elle nods her head furiously. Quinn leans back to observe the brunette, she doesn't seem to be having any trouble staying awake anymore. Her lips are bruised and her cheeks are flushed. Her eyes are wandering over Quinn's body hungrily and her bottom lip is tugged between her teeth. The sight causes Quinn to crash her lips against Elle's once more, unable to contain herself.

She feels a compelling need to touch the brunette constantly.

"Are you sure about this?" Quinn asks softly as she pulls away.

Elle bites down on her lower lip and the blonde feels her knees buckle a little at the sight. "Yes."

Quinn looks hesitant and Elle must sense it because she entwines her fingers with Quinn's and jerks her closer to her. "Let's go."

The blonde nods eagerly and pecks the brunette's lips once more before pecking her nose. "This way," Quinn states, leading the brunette down the street as she attempts to hail a cab.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews/story follows/story favourites, I really wasn't expecting that many. I've changed the month from the first chapter from November to October because it was supposed to be October; I just must not have been paying attention when I wrote it. Once again, I hope you enjoy and all mistakes are mine.

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**Chapter 2:**

It's later than normal when she wakes up; the sunlight is no longer streaming through the gap in her drapes of her bedroom window signalling that it must be higher in the sky. Normally she would be rudely awakened as the sun rays hit her face but today she has slept right through it. Her eyes open slowly and she rubs them, ridding them of sleep. A lazy smile appears on her face as she remembers last night, the careless touches, the drunken kisses, and most importantly, the look on Elle's face when she came down from her high.

Quinn rolls over, expecting to see the aforementioned brunette still fast asleep beside her but her smile quickly drops when she sees that the other side of her bed is empty. She pats it absentmindedly and its cold, Elle must have left a while ago. Disappointment surges through her at the thought that Elle left whilst she slept contently. She's never had to deal with people leaving her the morning after due to the fact that she never brings girls back to her apartment for two reasons.

Firstly, her apartment is her safe haven; it's her own special place where if somebody stayed they would learn more information about her than she wanted them to know.

Like how she has a stack of first edition books in her bedroom, neatly arranged in the order she received them.

Or how her pride and joy in her apartment is her vinyl player and her collection of records acquired over the years. Sophie, her best friend, always teases her for not moving into the 21st century yet but Quinn loves everything about it.

The simplicity of it, the sound of it and especially the antiqueness of it.

That's information that her one-night stands don't need to know but Quinn knows that if she brought people back, they'd undoubtedly snoop.

It's a natural sensation for people, the need to snoop, to be nosey.

And secondly, so she can do exactly want Elle has done.

Leave before her one-night stand wakes up.

However, having it done to her hurts more than she thought it would and her mind casts back to all the people she's done it to, wondering if they were as hurt as she appears to be now. She's not even sure as to why she invited Elle back to her apartment instead of suggesting they went to hers.

Maybe it because she didn't want to leave straight away; she actually wanted to spend the night with Elle.

Clearly the other woman didn't share that thought.

She knew that Elle was different than the normal women she goes for, she knew from the minute Elle confronted her on her behaviour.

Most women just accept everything she says, they don't challenge her on it but Elle did.

If anything, that made her endearing and that fact alone only made Quinn want her even more.

Running her fingers through her hair she climbs out of bed, grabbing the nearest clothes and shrugging them on quickly. Walking towards her kitchen she bears witness to the remnants of last night, the clothes which Elle had ripped off her lay strewn across her apartment floor and the vase which normally rested on the table next to her sofa lay in pieces on the floor after they had knocked it over in their haste and passion.

* * *

_She pushes Elle backwards until she hits a table and both girls suddenly pull apart at the sound of something hitting the ground and smashing. Quinn glances down to see the vase her mom had bought her as an apartment warming gift, telling her that flowers always brightened up a home and she would need somewhere to store them, shattered beneath her._

"_Sorry."_

_Quinn smiles and rubs her hands up and down the brunette's arms. "Don't worry about it. I never liked it." Her lips meet Elle's once more as her hands move underneath Elle's hoody. She can feel Elle's hand trailing the hem of her shirt, tugging it slightly, a silent command to take it off. _

"_Are you sure this is what you want?" Quinn asks gently, pulling away from the brunette slightly but keeping her hands underneath Elle's hoody, stroking her stomach softly._

"_Stop asking me that."_

_The brunette dives forward and places a trail of kisses from the blonde's collarbone up to her neck. Quinn sighs at the contact and loses herself momentarily in the feel of the other girl's mouth on her body. The way she sucks at her pulse point before nipping it lightly and then soothing the potentially bruised skin with her tongue. _

_Finding herself again, she removes her hands slowly from underneath Elle's hoody. "I just -" She cups Elle's cheek, forcing the brunette to look at her. "I don't want you to do something you're going to regret in the morning."_

_She expects a quick answer of either 'I won't' or 'you're right' but the brunette simply stares at her, her bottom lip tugged between her teeth. The silence is considerably unnerving and Quinn wills the brunette to say something._

_Anything at this point._

"_You're not what I expected."_

_She tilts her head to the side. "What does that mean?"_

_Elle shakes her head. "Nothing." She kisses Quinn briefly, just short enough to leave the blonde wanting more but just long enough to prove her point. "I'm sure about this Quinn."_

_That's all the blonde needs to hear and this time when Elle tries to remove her clothes, she doesn't protest in the slightest._

* * *

Quinn shrugs off the memories and heads towards the kitchen. She rests against the sink and inhales sharply before exhaling heavily. She doesn't understand why Elle leaving is affecting her so much, she doesn't do relationships, not anymore, but everything about Elle screamed that she wasn't just a one-night stand and Quinn can't help but wish she'd got a number or at least a surname.

She hears a key turning in the lock of her front door and her head snaps up. Disappointment surges through her once more when her best friend, Sophie, walks through the door instead of the person she wanted to see. She quickly plasters a smile on her face at the sight of her best friend.

"Have you just got up?"

Quinn glances down at her appearance, she's wearing a worn t-shirt and shorts but she guesses that it's her hair and the lack of make-up that is the true giveaway. She brings her attention to her friend to find her dressed in a cream sweater, her auburn hair flowing freely around her shoulders.

"I fancied a lie-in after a late night."

"I can tell. I'm taking it you had a good night then?" Sophie asks playfully, as she surveys Quinn's apartment. She picks Quinn's shirt up and examines it carefully. "All the buttons have been ripped off, she must have been a feisty one."

"I suppose you could say that."

The girl chuckled. "I thought you didn't bring girls back here?"

"Let's call it a momentary lapse in judgement."

"She's not still here is she?" Sophie lowers her voice to a whisper and scans the apartment.

"No," Quinn says sharply. "She's gone."

"You almost sound upset about that," Sophie states. "Don't tell me you actually met a girl you want to see again?"

"What are you doing here anyway Soph?" She asks, avoiding the question. Sophie quirks her eyebrow but doesn't push her on the question any more. "That key is only for emergencies."

"This is an emergency."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I woke up this morning and I had a giant craving for some of your world famous chocolate chip pancakes."

Quinn laughs softly. "So you came over to my place just so I could make you breakfast?"

"Brunch technically because it's just gone eleven," the other woman corrects her. "But that is the general gist of the idea yes."

She scolds her friend quietly whilst shaking her head but nevertheless starts searching her cupboards for the ingredients.

"Can you not have breakfast at your girlfriend's house?" Quinn states. "Who, I may add, I'm still waiting to meet. How long has it been now? Eight months?"

"Nine last week." A smile fills her face at the thought of her girlfriend. "She's got a lot going on right now plus last time we talked we argued so I don't think she wants to see me right now let alone meet you."

"Did you put your foot in it?" Quinn asks, breaking some eggs and tipping them into a bowl with milk and flour before whisking.

Sophie shrugs and lifts herself up so she's sitting on the countertop. "She was upset and I tried to be comforting and there for her but I think I just started to annoy her."

"Well I know how that feels."

The auburn-haired girl grabs a dish towel and whips it in her friend's direction, hearing the smack as it makes contact with the blonde's side. Quinn can't help but laugh as she strokes her side, feigning hurt.

"Just apologise to her and everything will be fine."

"Are you actually giving me relationship advice?"

"I wouldn't say its advice, just common sense."

Sophie sighs heavily. "I've tried ringing her and texting her but nothing. I might go round and see her but only after I've been fed."

"Since she's dominating our conversation right now, may I ask why I have yet to meet her?"

"When we first met, she was quite busy at work and then she flew home to Ohio for a couple of months and she only came back about a month ago so I've wanted to spend as much time with her as I could."

"So that's why you flew out to Ohio the other month for a couple of weeks?"

Sophie nods slowly. "She had family stuff to deal with."

Quinn realises that she isn't going to get any more information and doesn't press any further. "Do I get to meet her now?"

"Right now?"

"Maybe it's just my paranoia but I'm starting to feel like you don't want me to meet her?" Quinn questions lightly but her voice holds a serious tone. "Is she not as hot as you've made out?" The blonde smirks before continuing. "She's not imaginary is she?"

Sophie whips her with the dish towel again, producing a scream from Quinn. "She's not imaginary and she's better than hot, she's beautiful."

"So why don't you want me to meet her?"

The auburn haired woman clears her throat nervously and ducks her head. "Maybe I'm a little worried you'll do your normal tricks on her."

The words come out in a quiet, nervous mumble but Quinn hears them and stops mixing the batter for her pancakes, raising her head to look at her friend. Suddenly her kitchen has been plagued with an awkward silence as Quinn knows exactly what Sophie means by that.

There is no subtlety about her comment whatsoever.

"I wouldn't try anything on with her."

"I know you wouldn't, but…"

"That was a one-time thing," Quinn tells her. "Besides, it was a totally different situation, you weren't together and I was in love with her."

"So was I," the auburn haired girl whispers softly, fiddling with her fingers nervously.

Quinn casts a gaze over her best friend, her happy attitude has dissipated and she looks like she's reliving the painful memory. Sophie doesn't hold grudges, if she did, Quinn knows full well that they wouldn't still be friends but right now, it looks as if she's is trying to remember why it is she doesn't hold grudges.

"How many pancakes do you want?" Quinn asks, trying to dissolve the tension which is floating in the air between them.

"Three." Quinn raises her eyebrows. "What? I'm hungry."

"Evidently. Can you pass me the chocolate chips please?" Quinn asks. "They're in the fridge like you didn't already know."

Sophie jumps off the countertop and opens the fridge door, grabbing the packet of chocolate chips and handing them to Quinn. "I am going to introduce you to her Q."

"Okay," Quinn nods, folding the chocolate chips into her batter before pouring some of her mixture into a frying pan and placing it on the stove. "I'm just curious to finally meet the girl who makes you swoon like a love-sick teenager,

"I do not swoon."

Quinn chuckles as she swirls the mixture around. "It's not a bad thing, at least not for you," she says. "As long as you're happy then so am I."

"When did you get so soppy?"

Quinn flicks some flour from the bag in her friend's direction. "Shut up."

"That girl really did a number on you last night didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Sophie hops back onto the countertop. "So, tell me about her, what's her name, what does she look like, what was she like as a person?"

"You know the first question Santana always asks me is what they were like in bed, most people would but you ask about what she was like as a person?"

"I'm an old romantic; you know I'm not like you. I don't treat women as conquests," Sohpie replies playfully. "Besides she must have been pretty special since she seems to have affected you substantially."

"You need to stop thinking she's had an effect on me when she hasn't," Quinn lies, flipping the pancake effectively. She keeps her gaze fixated on the frying pan whilst feeling Sophie's gaze upon her, studying her.

"Okay if you say so," Sophie concedes, grazing at the chocolate chips still in the packet. "But you never answered my questions so spill."

"Her name is Elle," says the blonde, trying surprisingly hard to stop the corner of her lips from curling upwards. "She was brunette, quite short and a mixture of cute, sexy and gorgeous. She didn't seem interested in me at first but you know me, I love a challenge so I persisted and eventually she succumbed."

"If Santana could see you now. You had this dopey eyed expression when you were talking about her." Sophie laughs heartily as her best friend glares at her. "I haven't seen you like this in a while."

"She was just a one night stand Soph, one of many" Quinn states, flipping the pancake onto a plate before pouring more batter into the frying pan. "It's not like I'm going to see her again, we didn't exactly find a chance to exchange information."

"You never know, you might meet her again. You know what they say, if it's meant to be, it will be."

Quinn pushes the plate towards her friend. "You're such an optimist."

"I just want to see you happy; I think a relationship would be good for you."

Quinn shakes her head and swirls the batter around. She stares at the other woman out of the corner of her eye as she devours her pancake with a smile.

"So Quinn," Sophie says through a mouthful of pancake.

"Oh Sophie, now I know your mom taught you it's rude to speak with your mouth full."

Sophie sends her a short glare before she swallows her mouthful of food. "How was she in bed?"

* * *

She glances at her reflection in her bathroom mirror; cursing herself for letting last night happened. She'd said she wasn't going to sleep with her time and time again yet it still happened.

She still slept with Quinn.

She's tempted to blame the alcohol but all that did was make her more confident, confident enough to flirt with Quinn, to kiss her.

She can't even blame the other woman. Quinn had asked her several times if she was sure, if she wanted to stop. Hell at one point, Quinn had backed off, wanting her to be completely sure that this was what she wanted.

And she had said it was okay, it was what she wanted.

Because at the time it had been.

Unfortunately, the blame for this falls directly onto her.

She had a girlfriend but she had willingly had sex with somebody else last night and what's worse, she had enjoyed it.

That nugget of information didn't stop the guilt from circling in the pit of her stomach though. Nor does it stop her feeling sick every time she thinks about what she's done.

That's not who is she.

She isn't a cheater.

Or at least, she never thought she was.

She fingers the bruise on her breast, cursing Quinn for leaving a mark on her. At least this time, she can blame the blonde for something. She's grateful that it's not on her neck; at least she can hide this from her girlfriend until it fades.

She'll just have to think of a way to deter her girlfriend.

Although that shouldn't be too hard, she's not even sure how she'll look her girlfriend in the eye after cheating on her.

Her eyes close as a rush of nausea floods through her and she rests her hand against her forehead in an attempt to soothe the pounding in her head. It feels like somebody is using a pneumatic drill against her skull.

This is just one of the reasons she doesn't normally drink.

One last look in the reflection and she still can't believe what she's done.

It shocks her however that whilst she feels tremendously guilty for cheating on her girlfriend, she surprisingly feels guilty about giving Quinn a false name.

She hadn't meant to.

But when Quinn had introduced herself, Rachel found the alias Elle falling from her lips before she could stop herself and then it was too late to take it back.

"Rachel? Have you seen my hippo broach?" Kurt's voice flows through her apartment and Rachel picks up her sweater from the edge of the bath and shrugs it on, covering the mark left by Quinn. "Rachel?"

She walks out of her en-suite bathroom and traipses through her bedroom towards the noise Kurt is making in their living room. She knows full well that the living room will be a mess when she walks in.

Why it would even be in the living room she has no idea?

"Have you searched your bedroom properly?"

Kurt raises her head and stares at her. "Of course I've searched my bedroom properly, it's not there."

Rachel takes a seat of the arm of their couch and crosses her arms. "Can you not wear something else?"

He doesn't even need to answer because the look he gives her is a good enough answer. Ever since he first wore the hippo broach to his interview for an internship at Vogue, he claims it's his good luck charm and now he wears it or at least has it with him every time he sits in on an important meeting or has to give a presentation.

"Maybe you left it at Blaine's?" She suggests and that gets Kurt's attention.

"You're right, I had it when I led the presentation last week and then Blaine and I went out to celebrate. I must have left it at his apartment," Kurt states, retracing her movements that night silently in his head before nodding as he realises that is definitely what he has done. "Now I'm going to have to go to his apartment and it's going to make me late for work."

"I'm sure you'll be fine without the broach Kurt," she replies. "The whole good luck charm is just in your mind. You want to believe that it's good luck, so if something lucky happens whilst wearing it, you'll assume that it's because of the broach when really it's just a coincidence."

"You do know I'm still going to get the broach."

"I know," she says. "I just wanted to get my opinion across."

"Well your opinion has been noted," Kurt states, grabbing his jacket and shrugging it on. He gives her a small wave as he opens the front door. "See you tonight Rach," he says as he closes the door behind him before Rachel has a chance to say her goodbye.

She walks back into her bedroom and throws herself onto her bed, burying her head in the pillow. She has to be at rehearsals in two hours so that's two hours of wallowing in self-pity and feeling guilty about what she's done.

Her phone vibrates against her bedside table and Rachel has lost count of how many times her phone has vibrated today, either signalling a text or an incoming phone call. Her girlfriend has been trying to get in touch with her for most of the day yet she hasn't been able to bring herself to answer her because that will just make her feel guiltier and undeniably her girlfriend will know something is wrong.

She never has been a very good liar.

She had snapped at her girlfriend last night and it was that amongst other things, that had prompted her to go to the bar. Her phone stops vibrating for several seconds before a shorter vibration comes through, this time signalling a text.

Her hand reaches out aimlessly in an attempt to grab her phone and with one touch; she hears it fall to the ground. Sighing into the pillow she raises her head and bends over the side of her bed to pick it up off the floor. Opening up the new message a fresh wave of guilt hits her as she reads the message. She closes it and opens some of the earlier text messages. The phrases 'I'm sorry', 'are you okay', 'please don't ignore me', 'I love you' jumped out at her as she read through the messages.

She quickly types the words 'I love you too' back to her, praying that when her girlfriend gets it, she'll accept the reply and won't try to ring her. Looking at the screen the words blur and Rachel feels as though she's lying to both herself and her girlfriend, like the confession of love is given out of guilt rather than truth.

But that's not true.

She really does love her but you're not supposed to hurt the people you love and although she's not hurt her yet, if the truth ever came out, Rachel knows how much it would break her heart.

She hits send and then recoils from the phone as if she'd been burned by the button.

Last night had undoubtedly created one big web of lies that she is now forced to live in. She lied to Quinn, she's lying to her girlfriend and in order to stop the web from falling apart, she'll start lying to her friends.

As she lets her head fall lazily back into the comfort of her pillow, her phone vibrates once more and it's at that moment that she knows the web is just going to get larger and more complicated as time goes on.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: Thank you once again for all the reviews/story follows and story favourites, you have no idea how much I appreciate them. Hope you enjoy and as usual all mistakes are mine.

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

She fingers the bracelet that she had discovered only a couple of hours prior hiding underneath her coffee table. She let the chain of the bracelet run through her fingers as she observed the charms that rested on it, a heart, a microphone, the Star of David and two normal stars, a silver one and a gold one.

The shining gold is in stark contrast to the tarnished silver of the entire bracelet.

It wasn't a piece of her jewellery and she gathers that it must be Elle's. The clasp of the bracelet is broken and as a result it must have fell off her wrist but neither girl noticed as they had been too focused on each other. It would have remained undetected too if Quinn hadn't decide, in a moment of what can only be described as sheer madness, decided to vacuum her apartment. Luckily the gleam of the silver hit her eye because she vacuumed it up. Setting the charm bracelet down carefully into a cloth, she wraps it up and places it in the drawer of her bedside table.

At least now there is a possibility of seeing Elle again, surely she'll come looking for the bracelet. It hadn't looked too expensive but she presumes that the randomness of the charms meant it was personal and if it was her, she'd want it back.

It has been five days since her encounter with the brunette and since then, she hasn't been able to rid her mind of Elle. No matter how hard she tries, somehow, her mind always returns to focus on Elle. She's resorted to doing mundane, trivial things in the hope that they will take her mind off the woman but even when she does; she'll think of something or find something that causes her to think of the brunette.

Like the charm bracelet.

Girls never have this much of an effect on her; normally one night is enough, at least for her. It's not uncommon for her to forget the names of her one-night stands by the time she is back in the comfort of her own apartment.

She knows that it makes her sound rather unappealing, her refusal to commit through no other reason than she doesn't want to but it doesn't stop people from going home with her. If there is one thing Quinn prides herself on, it's that she never claims to be anything else. Everybody she has been with knew what they were getting when they started talking to her and they had the chance to leave. As she told Elle, she doesn't ever claim to be a saint.

Most girls don't say anything about her behaviour; instead they bat their eyelashes at her and twirl their hair around their fingers in a manner that is either meant to be seductive or playful. Yet Elle confronted her straightway and that made her endearing in Quinn's eyes and it made Quinn want her even more.

Standing from her bed, she observes her costume in the mirror with a smirk. Considering Santana and Brittany had only just decided yesterday to throw an impromptu Halloween party, she's rather impressed with her costume. Most good costumes had disappeared from the shelves in all the costume shops she had visited, although that wasn't surprising considering it was only a day to Halloween. Nevertheless, Quinn had found a costume buried in the back of her wardrobe from a couple of years ago when she attended Sophie's 21st birthday party.

The theme had been cops and robbers and Quinn had decided to dress as the former.

She's amazed that the costume still fits her but she has to admit that a sensation of pride washed over her when she realised it did.

She tugs a little at her tight fitting mini dress before wrapping the PVC belt around her and attaching her handcuffs to it. She places her cop hat on properly before adjusting it so it rests on her head on a slight angle and smiles at her reflection.

* * *

"Didn't anybody tell you you're supposed to wear a costume?" Santana opens the door wider, allowing Quinn to walk into her and Brittany's apartment. Her eyes rake over the blonde's choice of costume and she shakes her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

"What are you talking about Satan?" Quinn replies, taking the time to observe the Latina's choice of costume.

A red dress combined with red devil horns and if Quinn's not mistaken, a devil's tail.

How very apt.

"I'll let you off on the cop part but you couldn't have just come as a normal cop, you had to go with slutty cop and that is something you don't need a costume for."

Santana closes the door behind the blonde.

Quinn pats her outfit down. "I'm not a slutty cop. I'm a naughty cop, there's a difference." She hears Santana scoff at her. "Anyway, if I remember correctly you weren't exactly an innocent virgin a couple of years ago yourself." Quinn throws herself onto the couch with a smirk. "Just because you're in a happy committed relationship doesn't change the fact that you used to be worse than me when it came to sleeping around."

"That was different; I didn't want to deal with being gay, you just do it for fun," Santana attempts to defend her actions but she knows that her friend is correct. Before she met Brittany, relationships were not her forte.

"I don't want to be in a relationship S, that's my excuse."

"You need somebody though, seriously Q, you're getting old now, all your friends are going to start getting married and having kids and you're going to be the person who embarrasses everybody at family get-togethers."

"I'm 24," Quinn bites back, rather offender that Santana presumes she'll be an embarrassment when she's older.

Chances are she's become more like her mom when she's older and her mom isn't embarrassing, is she? Scrunching up her nose in thought, she replays some of her mom's best bits, like how she gave her 'the birds and the bees' talk through creative diagrams she had prepared earlier, how she always asked Santana whenever she spent the night if they had decided to become a couple yet or how she would sing along to the radio whilst cooking and be completely out of tune.

Yeah, on second thoughts, her mom is embarrassing.

Still she shakes off Santana's comment and lifts her hat off, running her fingers through her hair absentmindedly. "Anyway, it's only you and Brittany getting married and you've been engaged for a year and a half so who knows when you'll actually make if official. Nobody we know is having children yet so I think I have time to find somebody, if I wanted to. You know, ever since you proposed to Brittany, you've become all romantic and soppy. Where's the old Santana? The less whipped one? The one I know and love."

"Right here puta!" Santana smacks her on the head as she walks past her towards the kitchen.

"There she is," Quinn says proudly. "I knew you were in there somewhere."

Silence falls between the two women as Santana starts pouring a plentiful amount of alcohol into a punch bowl. Quinn had been ordered, mostly by Brittany, to arrive earlier than everybody else so that they would be guaranteed at least one person at the party and also so the person, who arrived earliest, after Quinn wouldn't feel as bad if there was another guest already there.

Since she didn't really have anything else to do, she agreed to be the first guest and siting casually on the couch she surveys the apartment. It has been transformed into a Halloween spectacular and she assumes that is due to Brittany's enthusiasm when it comes to both parties and Halloween. A bowl of candy sits on the table beside the front door in case any trick-or-treaters knock and when she casts a glance to the right, she sees Santana laying out food on their kitchen counters. Cobwebs hang across doors and dangle from the ceiling, there are bloody footprints on the floorboards, plastic spiders littered around the apartment and a very happy looking pumpkin sits in the centre of their dining room table.

"You got enough alcohol in that S?"

The Latina stops her ministrations to look at her friend. "If I'm going to make it through this party and be nice to all the little trick-or-treaters, I'm going to need liquor."

"I must say, I did find it a little strange when you said you were hosting a Halloween party. You're not usually the hostess more the party crasher."

Quinn stands and heads over towards her friend, perching on one of the kitchen stools and grazing at the snacks Santana has put out.

Santana shrugs her shoulder and pours some juice in the punch bowl to counteract the alcohol. "Brittany wanted to have a party, she said we never have people over and it would be nice to have a celebration with all our friends."

"And as always, you bowed down to her command," Quinn teases, knowing how riled up Santana gets when she suggests that she is whipped, even though the Latina knows it's the truth. She doesn't like it when her bad-girl, doesn't care about anybody, persona slips.

Before Santana can launch into a tirade and lie about how she doesn't answer Brittany's every beck and call, the said blonde appears from the bedroom, dressed in an angel outfit.

She bounces over to Quinn and gives her a hug. "I like your outfit Q, Santana wanted to dress as a cop but I wanted our costumes to be similar and I didn't really want to come as a prisoner so I suggested Angel and Devil and San agreed, didn't you babe?"

Santana gives a small grunt in response. "Next year, we're doing the cop and prisoner thing though."

Brittany bobs her head up and down in agreement. "That's only fair."

Before Santana can say anything else, Brittany bounds towards the door as somebody knocks, knowing that it's too early for party guests so it must be trick-or-treaters. Quinn hears Brittany greeting the children and stating how scary they all look.

"Who knows, maybe it will be you two that have children first too," Quinn states quietly, grabbing of handful of potato chips from the bowl.

"Okay, we are definitely not there yet." Santana pours a little bit of the punch into a cup and hands it to Quinn. "Does that need more alcohol or juice?"

Quinn takes the offered cup and takes a sip of the drink, feeling the need to spit it right back up again. She splutters once her mouthful has been swallowed and grimaces. "That needs a lot more juice S, it's disgusting."

Santana furrows her eyebrows and takes a sip of it herself, mimicking Quinn's previous face when the liquid hits the back of her throat. "I think that's rather nice," she whispers before grabbing a carton of juice and pouring it all in. She gives the mixture a stir before pouring some in a cup once more.

"Is that any better?"

* * *

As soon as she steps foot into the apartment, she's bombarded and arms wrap around her, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. Laughter surrounds her before her girlfriend greets her own friend. When her feet are planted back on the ground, she gives Brittany a bright smile.

"Rachel, I'm glad you came, I wasn't sure whether you would or not," Brittany says quickly before giving Sophie a firm hug. "This is Santana."

Rachel looks to Brittany's right to see a Latina staring at her and she is unable to make out whether it is supposed to be intimidating, whether Santana is sizing her up or whether that's just the way she looks at everybody. Still, she had always been one to take control of situations and outstretches her right hand towards the brunette.

"Nice to meet you Santana," she says confidently. "Brittany's talked a lot about you; it's nice to finally put a face to the name."

Santana sends a shy smile towards her fiancée and begrudgingly shakes Rachel's hand. "Nice to meet you to I guess."

"San, be nice." Brittany bumps her hip against Santana's as she scolds her quietly. "Sorry, she's boarding on becoming drunk."

"I've only had two," Santana protests.

"Yeah two of your own concoction," Brittany replies lightly. "You shouldn't be allowed to make drinks, they're always lethal."

Santana frowns at her fiancée but when she receives a brief peck on the lips, her frown disappears and she turns her attention back to Sophie's girlfriend. "You're all this one has been talking about," she mentions, casually taking a sip of her drink, gesturing with her head towards Sophie, who scuffs her feet nervously as three pairs of eyes fall on her. "Rachel this and Rachel that, you've got a lot to live up to. I swear she's been talking about you so much –"

"Is Q here yet?" Sophie asks, promptly putting an end to Santana's statement. The Latina glares at her but Sophie merely smiles and removes the coat from her shoulders, hanging it up beside the door, taking Rachel's coat and doing the same.

"Yeah, she was here first," Brittany replies. "She helped us set up, she'll be around somewhere. If you see a slutty cop then that's her."

"Naughty cop," Santana corrects quietly.

Sophie bobs her head, wanting to get the introduction between her girlfriend and her best friend over and done with. She's surprisingly nervous about it, Rachel is the first girl is a while that's she been in love with and when they're together, it just feels right. Yet somewhere deep within her, there is a need for Quinn's approval.

Especially this time.

"Do you want a drink babe?" She asks Rachel quietly. The brunette bobs her head slowly and murmurs a quiet please. "So S, what concoctions have you designed for tonight's festivities?"

"Santana's Screaming Screwballs," Santana says proudly. "I fancied some alliteration."

Sophie gives her girlfriend's hand a squeeze. "And what exactly is in that?"

"That would be telling now wouldn't it?"

"She's pretty much emptied the contents of our liquor cabinet and added a bit of juice," Brittany explains, taking a sip of her own drink and scrunching her face up in disgust. "It's absolutely horrible but it does its job. A couple of these and you won't be able to see straight."

"I guess I'll have one of them," Sophie says, releasing Rachel's hand. "Do you just want an orange juice?" Again the brunette bobs her head. Sophie pecks Rachel's lips quickly. "Be back in a minute."

* * *

The music isn't exactly her taste but she finds herself dancing amongst several other people who she doesn't recognise. Her girlfriend returned with her drink about half an hour ago before Santana dragged her away to referee an argument between her and somebody they worked with. At least, that's Rachel's understanding. She didn't really mind, she's always prided herself on her ability to start conversations with people, even if they don't return them.

Considering she didn't even really want to come to this party, she's not having a miserable time. She's actually quite enjoying it. She's spent the last five days wallowing in self-pity and guilt, staring at Sophie with remorse-ridden eyes and trying desperately to act like everything is normal between them.

For the first time since she cheated, her mind is switched off; she's not thinking about what she's done, she's just focusing on being with her girlfriend and having a good time.

Her night with Quinn was just a mistake, a moment of weakness.

It's not going to happen again therefore there's no need for Sophie to find out about it.

Brittany had literally run into her this morning and invited her to an impromptu Halloween party that she and her fiancée were having that night. She's known Brittany since high school and they had always maintained a strange friendship. Brittany had been a cheerleader and popular, whilst she had been the complete opposite, head of Glee Club and only had a select friends but she highly doubts that anybody in her school didn't become friends with Brittany during the four years. The bubbly blonde has a certain persona about her, kindness and happiness radiate from her and it's impossible not to like her. She had already been told about the party however, as in a strange coincidence, Sophie knows Santana from high school.

She finds it ironic how they both know people from different high schools who have inevitably ended up as a couple.

She can't help but wonder, had she and Sophie not already met, would they have eventually met through Brittany and Santana and started a relationship?

Maybe they were always supposed to meet.

Then again, she doesn't really believe in fate.

"I'm arresting you for trespassing in my dreams."

She freezes at the familiar voice and stops dancing. She spins around on the spots, quirking her eyebrow at Quinn. "Come again?"

"I figured that after the other night, you preferred chat-up lines rather than any of my normal lines and I've learnt my lesson so I'm not going to try and ask you if you want another drink this time," Quinn declares, gesturing her head towards the cup in the brunette's hand. "Since I'm dressed as a cop, I thought that chat-up line was rather apt."

"It was cheesy."

"They all are." Quinn pushes past the person dancing beside the brunette and takes his place. "Loving the naughty schoolgirl costume by the way," she points out, ensuring that her eyes rake appreciatively over the brunette's body. "Who'd have thought that underneath those jeans, you were hiding those legs? If I was you, I'd always have them on show."

"I'm not a naughty schoolgirl, I'm just a schoolgirl.

The blonde chuckles and takes a sip of her drink. The alcohol in it is certainly starting to have an effect on her, the extra juice that Santana added didn't really make too much difference but at least now you can drink it without the sensation of burning filling the back of your throat.

"Have you ever heard of serendipity?"

Rachel shakes her head, whilst glancing over her shoulders frantically for her girlfriend.

"It means a happy accident, finding something good but without searching for it," Quinn explains. "I think both of us being at the party is rather serendipitous."

"Well I know Brittany and it's evident that you must know somebody at this party, unless you're a party-crasher, therefore I wouldn't say it was an accident."

"So are you suggesting it was fate?" Quinn suggests with a smirk but the brunette doesn't reply, instead she glances over her shoulder again nervously. "Looking for somebody?"

Rachel brings her gaze back to the blonde and swallows nervously at the sight of Quinn clad in a rather revealing, very tight fitting dress. The words 'my girlfriend' become stuck in her throat and she's unable to voice them. Instead she shakes her head meekly and takes a sip of her drink.

Quinn clears her throat awkwardly, deciding whether or not she should broach the subject of what happened between them the other night. It's pretty obvious to her that the brunette is trying to pretend that nothing happened between them. That is apparent from the fact that she hasn't looked her in the eyes once. Still, she wants to know why she woke up alone the other day. "You left pretty sharpish the other morning. I'm not used to women leaving before I even wake up. That was certainly a first."

"Well I'm sure you've done it to enough people," Rachel states quietly under her breath but Quinn hears.

"Yeah, I guess I have." Quinn drums her fingers against the side of her cup nervously. "Were you giving me a taste of my own medicine?"

"Not all of my actions are because of you," Rachel says. "You really need to get that ego looked at."

"I quite like my ego the way it is thank you." Quinn waits for the other woman to say something but she remains quiet. "So why did you leave then?"

"I didn't want to stay," the brunette states simply, running her fingers through her hair. "For somebody who specialises in one-night stands, you seem awfully keen to know the logistics of why people leave. I find the key to understanding is the word one night, it's not a one-night stand with breakfast and morning cuddles involved."

The harshness in her words is obvious but she can't really understand why she feels the need to be harsh to the blonde. Quinn wasn't to know that she had a girlfriend, that she has been feeling guilty practically every second of every day. She may have ulterior motives, but on the surface, Quinn is just trying to be nice and Rachel is throwing it back in her face.

"I wasn't implying that I wanted breakfast and morning cuddles."

"Then what were you implying?"

"Nothing," Quinn whispers. "I just...I wanted to know why you left, that's not a crime is it?"

"I've already told you that."

"I didn't want to stay isn't a proper answer."

Rachel laughs cruelly. "What's your reason for leaving all your one-night stands?"

Quinn blanches at the sudden question. "We're not talking about me."

"No because you have double standards, it's okay for you to disappear in the early hours of the morning but when someone does it to you, it's not okay," Rachel says." Admit it; it bruised that huge ego of yours."

"You know for somebody who wanted me, you seem to regret it quite a lot," Quinn spits. "What? Did I not live up to expectations?"

"Not everything is about you Quinn!" She shouts the words and is grateful that the music is loud enough to block their argument out. Still she finds herself lowering her voice for the next statement. "What happened between us was a mistake. There, I said it, are you happy now?"

"What's their name?"

Rachel stills at the question, a sudden chill runs through her at the intense stare Quinn is sending her way. It's like Quinn is looking right through her, like she can see what Rachel is thinking. "Who?"

"The person you keep looking for, the person you don't want to make an appearance right now, the person I'm guessing you're in a relationship with."

"And let me guess, it doesn't bother you in the slightest does it?"

Quinn exhales softly but speaks firmly. "Like I said, the partner is your problem, not mine."

Rachel shakes her head and finishes her drink before placing it on the nearest coffee table. "You know one day, the partner is going to be your problem too." Quinn furrows her eyebrows at her as the brunette turns and walks towards the kitchen, leaving her standing amidst several people from her work, dancing drunkenly, oblivious to the conversation that had just taken place before them.

Oblivious to the sudden disappointment that flows through Quinn at the realisation that the brunette is in a relationship.

* * *

She stands alone on the balcony, arms resting on top of the railing as the cool air brushes past her. She glances briefly at her watch, frowning at her naked right wrist, where her charm bracelet used to rest. She's not really sure what happened to it but she does that when she returned home after her night with Quinn, it no longer rested on her wrist. Somewhere between leaving the bar and leaving Quinn's apartment she must have lost it and Murphy's Law would suggest that she left it at Quinn's apartment, ensuring they had another conversation.

She breathes in the fresh air and enjoys the silence that overcomes her. The music and drunken chatter may have been overpowering in the apartment but the sudden appearance of Quinn had thrown her and she needed some quiet.

The knowledge that her one-night stand and her girlfriend were in the same apartment worried her immensely, she feels tense and anxious just thinking about the possibility that they could bump into each other. Two people who she never wanted to meet yet here they are, both at the same party.

What if they bump into each other and start talking?

What if they already know each other?

The constant flow of questions run through her mind as she drums her fingers against the railings.

"Don't do it."

She freezes as Quinn's voice fills her ears once more. In the silence, she can hear the huskiness Quinn's voice possesses and Rachel closes her eyes at the sound, unintentionally tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. She keeps her gaze fixated on the apartment block opposite her, unable to turn around. The sound of the screen door closing causes her to stiffen momentarily before a body comes to rest beside her and she finds herself relaxing.

"I know it's not the best party in the world but it's not bad enough to make you want to jump is it?" Quinn jokes, attempting to cut the deafening silence that has fallen between them.

Rachel continues staring ahead and doesn't show any sign that she heard Quinn. An involuntary shiver runs through her and she wishes she's chosen a more weather suitable outfit. She's too busy watching a light turn on in one of the apartments across the street that she doesn't notice Quinn shrug off her jacket and place it over her shoulders.

She jumps at the sudden contact and Quinn takes a step back, sending a soft smile her way. "You looked cold."

For the first time, Rachel allows herself to smile at the blonde and pulls the coat closer together, giving her some extra warmth. "Thank you."

Quinn shrugs the gratitude off and waves a cigarette in her direction. "Do you mind?"

"Smoking is a disgusting habit you know?"

"So is that a yes? You mind if I smoke." Quinn nods and places the cigarette and lighter back in her bag.

"It doesn't matter to me what you do."

Quinn rests her forearms against the railings and glances up to the night sky. "I'm surprised you can see this many stars, normally with the clouds and the street lights it's hard to see them but tonight they're rather clear."

"Are you just going to pretend that I didn't just admit to having a girlfriend?"

"Technically you never admitted to having a girlfriend, you just walked away, now you have though," Quinn replies. "Why didn't you just tell me straightaway?"

"It doesn't bother you."

"No, but it bothers you," Quinn tells her. "Do you want to know what does bother me? I told you that I didn't want you to do something you'd regret but evidently you do."

"You're right, I should never have gone back to your apartment the other night and I certainly should not have engaged in sexual intercourse with you."

Quinn frowns and gives the brunette a soft smile. "Sexual intercourse?"

"It shouldn't have happened, I love my girlfriend okay?"

Quinn doesn't get the chance to answer however, as the screen door slides open behind them. Quinn turns around and gives Sophie a small smile as the auburn-haired woman steps out to join them on the balcony.

"Santana finally released you from referee duties," Quinn jokes.

"Eventually," Sophie replies, sending a wide smile in Rachel's direction.

Rachel returns the smile but her heartbeat quickens at the awareness that her girlfriend knows Quinn. A fresh wave of guilt hits her and it's lucky that Sophie decides to wrap her arm around her waist because if she hadn't supported her, Rachel's pretty sure her knees would have buckled.

"You two have met without me even needing to do the introductions. Must be fate."

Quinn stares at her best friend's arm around the brunette's waist and a wave of nausea hits her. She swallows anxiously and brings her gaze back to Sophie. "You two know each other." The words come out in a hurried whisper and she needn't have asked the question because she has a feeling that she knows what Sophie's answer will be before she says it.

Even though the brunette had introduced herself to Quinn as Elle, the blonde is fully expecting to be introduced to her again, only this time by a different name.

It's the way Sophie's fingers are gently ticking the brunette's side, the way the pair seem to fit together and the look of sheer adoration spreading across Sophie's face.

She notes however, that the brunette doesn't look completely at ease and is desperately trying to avoid Quinn's gaze.

"Quinn, this is Rachel, my girlfriend. Rachel, this is Quinn, my best friend."

It might be the copious amount of alcohol that is coursing through her body or it might be the realisation that she had slept with her best friend's girlfriend but whatever it is, Quinn leans over the balcony and throws up.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: It's repetition but once again I'd like to thank you for all the reviews/story follows and story favourites. I really appreciate them and I love reading people's reviews. Hope you enjoy and as usual all mistakes are mine.

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

"Shit!"

The swearword was supposed to be uttered under her breath but as the bus drives past her, making sure to drive through the nearby puddle, it slips out of her mouth angrily. The water flies in her direction, splashing her thoroughly and causing her to drop her coffee which she had yet to take a sip of. Closing her eyes tightly, she presses her hand against her forehead and inhales slowly, trying to calm herself down.

Picking up the now empty coffee cup, she bins it and turns around, heading back in the direction of Starbucks rather than work. She desperately needed the caffeine boost, granted she is a bit of a caffeine addict so religiously has a cup of coffee every day on her way to work, but today she needed the kick coffee would give her more than ever. She hadn't managed to sleep much last night after her neighbours decided they would throw a party, one which she wasn't even invited to she may add.

That's the last time she lets them borrow sugar.

Although she can't blame her inability to sleep at the moment completely on her neighbours.

She is finding it impossible to not think about Sophie and Rachel.

It is still a weird concept to her, to call the brunette Rachel when she had been used to Elle. Not that they really talked much but ever since the first night they met, the brunette has been a permanent fixture in Quinn's mind.

It may sound stupid but she's finding it harder than she thought to make the mental shift from Elle to Rachel.

Although that might be due to her unwillingness to accept that the girl she can't stop thinking about is really Sophie's girlfriend.

Rachel does seem to suit the brunette better though.

Even when she did finally get to sleep last night, her alarm clock decided to stop working, resulting in her waking up an hour later than normal.

The sound of her ringtone brings her out of her reverie and she stops walking momentarily to rummage through her handbag. Pulling out the offending article, she glances quickly at the caller ID. Through a mixture of guilt and sense of betrayal towards her friend, she hasn't been able to answer any of Sophie's calls since the Halloween party. When Santana's name flashes on the screen, she hits answer.

"Hello Santana."

"_Sylvester's seething Q," _Santana informs her. _"Where the hell are you? You're already late. I've covered for you but you need to get here quickly. I'm pretty sure Sue doesn't buy my excuse. The longer you take, the less plausibility my excuse has."_

Quinn groans at not only the knowledge that she will have to face the wrath of her boss when she finally does make it to work but also due to the heaven's decision to start raining heavily. "Hold on," Quinn says through the phone before resting it between her ear and shoulder, grabbing her umbrella from her bag and opening it. Once under shelter, she grabs the phone again. "I'm not having the best of days S, I just need to get my caffeine boost and I'll be right there."

The silence on the other end of the line causes Quinn to bring the phone away from her ear, just to check she hadn't accidentally disconnected the call.

Finally she hears Santana's voice.

"_What? I can barely hear you."_

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Quinn shouts her reply this time so Santana can hear over the bustling noise of Manhattan and the traffic speeding past her. The sudden torrential downpour isn't helping matters either.

She hears Santana mumble something in Spanish before hanging up the phone. Quinn throws it back into her bag and quickens her pace towards Starbucks. Pushing open the coffee shop door, she basks at the warmth which overtakes her. After walking outside in the blistering cold and wet, standing inside a cosy coffee shop, which was already partially decorated for Christmas, feels perfect and gives her a brief chance to dry off.

She closes her umbrella and pushes the door shut behind her. Surprisingly there is no queue and when she reaches the counter, Nick, the barista smiles at her and gives her a quick hello. "Back so soon? I know you love our coffee but I didn't realise you loved it this much."

Quinn returns the smile sent her way by the teenager. Due to the fact that she frequents this coffee shop almost every day, Nick knows her order off by heart and sets about making her usual coffee before she stops him quickly. "Just a regular coffee please Nick."

"What? No tall skinny latte with two shots of vanilla syrup?"

"I'm too late to properly enjoy my coffee so regular will have to do. A tall one please."

Nick nods and starts making it. "So you never did tell me why you're back so soon."

"Idiot bus driver thought he'd get his jollies by purposely driving through a puddle and splashing me. The damn shock made me drop my coffee."

"How late are you for work now?"

Quinn glances at the clock hanging on the wall behind him and groans. "Over an hour. It's not my fault my alarm clock chose today of all days to break. Everything seems to be going wrong today."

Nick places the lid on her takeaway cup and rings it up on the till. "Do you want anything else? Usually I find that chocolate always seems to help girls when they're having a bad day. At least, that's what my girlfriend tells me."

"Your girlfriend is rather wise," Quinn replies, stooping down a little so she can peruse the contents behind the glass counter. "Go on then, I'll have one of those please," Quinn states, pointing towards one of the brownies in the corner.

Nick bobs his head with a smile and grabs a brownie from the selection, placing it in a brown bag and resting it besides her takeaway coffee.

"That'll be $6.50 Quinn."

Before she can reach for her purse, a hand reaches in front of her and hands Nick the money. "I'll get this."

Quinn turns at the voice and shakes her head at Sophie. "You don't need to do that, I can get it myself."

Sophie shrugs her shoulders. "Let's call it my treat."

Knowing there's no use arguing with her because once Sophie sets her mind to something, she won't back down, even if it's something as simple buying a cup of coffee and a brownie, Quinn thanks her quietly. She pockets her brownie before heading towards the condiment section. Taking the lid off her cup, she pours two sachets of sugar into her coffee before stirring.

Sophie deposits a wrapper in the bin beside her and rests against the table. "Have you got time for a chat?"

"Not really Soph, I'm already incredibly late as it is."

She places the lid back on her cup and tries to move past Sophie only to have the auburn-haired woman step in her way. "Come on Q, what's wrong?"

"Sophie, I really need to get to work."

Sophie releases a soft sigh before nodding slowly. "Fine, I'll walk with you."

Quinn tries to not let the uneasy feeling that is currently flooding through her show on her face and instead gives her friend a small grin. She takes a sip of her coffee, revelling in the warmth it gives her hands and the back of her throat and heads towards the exit. Once outside, the cold hits her forcefully and she pauses momentarily to grab her hat from her bag before shrugging it on.

At least the rain has stopped for the moment.

They walk in silence for several minutes before Quinn feels compelled to talk. She never experiences awkward silences with Sophie, they've always been able to tell each other everything yet here they are, both walking in silence, both pretending that they're not uncomfortable.

Quinn clears her throat. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

Sophie shakes her head and rubs her hands together. "School is closed due to a burst pipe," Sophie tells her. "But don't try to change the topic. You've been avoiding me since Santana and Brittany's Halloween party. Have I done something to upset you?"

"_You_ haven't done anything," Quinn replies, putting strong emphasis on the word you but Sophie doesn't seem to catch it. "I've just been really busy with work. Obituaries don't write themselves you know."

"So it has nothing to do with Rachel?"

The question is asked so innocently yet it causes shockwaves of worry to spread through Quinn's body. "Why would it have something to do with Rachel?"

"I don't know Q, maybe because I introduced her to you and you haven't spoken to me since," Sophie explains, scratching a non-existent itch on her ear. "Did you not like her or something?

"I don't even know her."

That's not necessarily a lie.

She doesn't know Rachel, she knows what Sophie has told her about the brunette but that's it.

She was just getting to know Elle and if she lied about her name, who knows whether their personalities will differ. The first night they'd met, Rachel had said she should start doing things she wouldn't normally do so maybe Elle is her wild side and Rachel is meek in comparison.

Somehow Quinn doubts it.

"There's an easy solution to that problem," Sophie suggests, stuffing her hands into her pockets trying to give her hands some extra warmth. "Come out with us sometime, it'll give you a chance to properly meet her and get to know her. We could go for dinner or something."

"I'm really busy right now Soph."

She feels Sophie's arm on her wrist, stilling her and spinning her around so they're facing one another. "Stop lying to me Q, what's really wrong?"

I had sex with Rachel the other week.

Eight words, that's all it would be.

Eight words and the truth will be out there.

Eight words and her friend's heart would break.

Quinn rubs her forehead awkwardly and gestures for Sophie to start walking once more. Stopping at traffic lights, the silence still lingers between them and only breaks once they've crossed the road.

"I'm embarrassed."

"What?"

The blonde takes a sip of her coffee with a roll of her eyes. "The first time you introduced her to your best friend and I threw up, not exactly a warm reception. I'm embarrassed about it okay?"

She's surprised and worried at how easy it had been for her to lie.

* * *

_She's aware of Sophie rubbing soft circles on her back, her hair being pulled over her shoulders to keep it out of the way and Sophie murmuring quietly beside her, constantly asking if she's okay. She's aware that people are walking on the street below, glancing at her curiously before crossing the road so they're safe from any more potential vomit._

_She's aware of all of this but the only thing she is focused on is how Elle is really Rachel. Elle is her best friend's girlfriend and she had slept with her._

"_Are you okay Q?"_

_Quinn rests her head against the railing of the balcony and nods her head. "Fine."_

"_How many of Santana's concoctions did you have?" Sophie asks, her voice laced with concern. "I tried one earlier but it was far too strong for me and you know I can handle my liquor normally."_

"_A couple," Quinn tells her. "I'm not really sure, I kind of lost count."_

"_Is she okay?"_

_The voice is almost enough to make her raise her head and look directly at Rachel but she doesn't think she can look at either woman right now. Rachel, out of slight anger and Sophie, out of sheer guilt._

"_Yeah," Sophie answers, running her fingers through Quinn's hair. "Can you go get her a glass of water please babe?"_

_Unsurprisingly, hearing Sophie use a term of endearment towards Rachel makes her stomach jump through guilt._

_She hears a quiet yes in response before the screen door opens and closes. The sudden disappearance of Rachel seems to reduce the invisible tension in the air between the two women._

_Out of the corner of her eye she spots Sophie leaning over the balcony slightly. "I hope nobody was underneath you when you hurled," she says worriedly, humour lacing her voice. "That would certainly be eventful and quite hard to apologise for."_

_Quinn chuckles and presses her cheek against the cold metallic railing, relishing the coolness due the sudden heat that has overtaken her._

"_I haven't seen you drunk in a while."_

"_I'm not drunk," Quinn tells her honestly. "I must have just eaten something earlier."_

"_It's Santana's Screaming Screwballs."_

"_That's what she called them?"_

_Sophie nods her head. "I'm surprised more people haven't thrown up, one sniff of that was enough to make Rachel feel queasy."_

"_Rachel."_

_Quinn processes the name and it falls off her lips easily. Sophie glances at her with a quirked eyebrow before stepping away from the balcony. "She's just getting you some water." _

_Her friend must have thought she was asking the name as a question rather than a statement._

"_I don't need water Soph, I'm fine."_

"_You look really pale Q, so we're going to have to agree to disagree." Sophie rubs her on the back again. "Let's go back inside before you catch your death. Last thing you need right now is a cold."_

_Quinn pushes herself off the railing and heads towards the screen door, conveniently avoiding her friend's eyes. She pushes the screen door open and steps inside, hearing Sophie close it behind her when she was inside. Quinn glances towards the kitchen to see Rachel struggling to get to the sink, a drunk Santana and Brittany blocking her way as they kissed against it._

_Sophie must follow her gaze as she hears a small chuckle escape her friend's lips. "I best go and help her."_

"_I don't need water S," Quinn states again, this time more adamant. "I think I'm just going to go the bathroom and then head home."_

_Sophie studies her quickly. "Let us take you home then? Rachel drove us both here. I'm sure she won't mind driving you home."_

"_It's fine, you two stay and enjoy the party," Quinn replies. "I'll just get a cab."_

"_Are you sure?" _

_The other woman doesn't look convinced in the slightest but the last thing Quinn can handle right now is sharing a vehicle with Sophie and Rachel._

_She can't sit in a car where silence will undoubtedly fall, broken occasionally only by the sound of the radio or Sophie attempting to make conversation._

_No, the thought alone is bad enough._

"_Honestly, it's fine. I'd rather be by myself anyway," Quinn says with a bob of her head and bids a quiet goodbye in her friend's direction before dashing towards the bathroom. Once inside, she turns and locks the door behind her before sliding down against it. _

_This wasn't supposed to happen, not again._

_They've been friends for twenty years and they have only had their eye on the same girl once._

_Until now._

_How is she supposed to deal with the fact that she has had sex with her best friend's girlfriend and ten minutes ago she hadn't been opposed to a repeat? Even after Rachel told her she had a girlfriend, it didn't deter her._

_She would have still pursued her._

_Obviously, she can't do that now._

_A heavy banging on the bathroom door shocks her as somebody desperately tries to open the door on the other side. Quinn watches as the handle is lifted up and down furiously before the slurred speech of Santana hits her._

"_I need to pee, why is this door not opening?"_

_Quinn sighs heavily before unlocking the door, allowing Santana to stumble inside once it opens. She must have been leaning against it in an attempt to remain upright._

"_Hey Q, you got the door open." Santana gives her a drunken smile. "Now get out, I need to pee."_

_The Latina pathetically attempts to push the blonde out of the bathroom, only to nearly slip in her drunken stupor. Quinn leaves the bathroom of her own accord, closing the door behind her. She walks towards the front door, glancing around quickly in the hope of spotting Brittany to thank her for the party and say goodbye but her eyes only fall on Sophie and Rachel._

_They seem to be deep in conversation and Quinn wonders for a second if they're arguing. That thought is quickly quashed as Sophie gives her a wide smile and kisses her cheek before heading in the direction of the bathroom._

_Quinn doesn't let her gaze waver from the brunette and soon enough, Rachel turns in her direction and their eyes meet._

_They stare at each other for several seconds before Quinn feels the need to look away, Rachel's intense stare unnerving her and causing a shiver to run through her at the same time. _

_The first time she properly saw Rachel, it was her eyes that Quinn was drawn to. There was something about them; Quinn could see that even through the shimmering tears and she knew she wanted to get to know the brunette._

_Now, seeing them again, this time wide and apologetic, Quinn knows something else._

_She's in trouble._

* * *

"You're never embarrassed."

"Well maybe it was your description of her as the perfect girlfriend, the girl who can no wrong," Quinn replies. "Her first impression of me can't have been a very good one."

Sophie links her arm with her friend's and opens her own umbrella as the rain starts to fall once more, shielding them both. "Actually I think she quite likes you."

Quinn whips her head towards her friend. "What makes you say that?"

In the bar, Quinn definitely received the impression that Elle, or rather Rachel, liked her. She thought they had an instant connection and she presumed the brunette felt it too but a week ago at the Halloween party; Rachel had obviously tried her best to deter Quinn.

For reasons that Quinn now fully understands.

"She was wondering what she could do to help and after we dropped you off, she kept asking me if you'd be okay."

"Really?"

Sophie bobs her head. "So you needn't feel embarrassed. Besides, a couple of months ago when we went to one of Rachel's friend's party, I drank far too much. Rachel doesn't drink so she's always alert but I let myself drink more than I should have and she had to look after me. I was in a worse state than you."

"You're never that bad as a drunk though S, you're a happy touchy-feely drunk who laughs at anything."

"Yeah, a touchy-feely drunk who apparently kept trying to playfully grope her girlfriend." Sophie chuckles before rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "I don't think that went down too well with Rachel. But if that doesn't make you feel better, Rachel bore witness to what Santana is like when she's drunk."

Quinn allows herself to laugh loudly. "She didn't start crying did she?"

"Weeping is more appropriate," Sophie explains. "After you left she started crying about how Brittany hadn't wanted to dress as her prisoner before snapping at somebody who tried to push past her to get to the fridge. Next thing we know, they're kissing against the fridge like nothing's wrong."

"Santana drunk is always rather entertaining."

Sophie bumps Quinn's hip lightly, pushing her ever so slightly out of the safeguard of the umbrella. The blonde shrieks quietly before stepping back underneath her protection.

"So now you don't need to be embarrassed, what do you say about dinner one night this week?"

She lets her eyes flutter shut briefly. She's knows it will be pointless to offer up another excuse as Sophie would squash it like she had done with her lie about being embarrassed. Still, she knows exactly how uncomfortable the dinner would be and she would quite like to spare everybody from that situation. As they stop outside Quinn's building, the blonde ducks underneath shelter quickly whilst Sophie stands still, waiting for Quinn's response.

One more excuse can't hurt.

"I don't particularly fancy being the third-wheel to you and your girlfriend."

Okay, that time, not strictly an excuse.

"Well invite Brittany and Santana then."

Quinn laughs at the suggestion. "So I can be the fifth wheel? Yeah that's a much better idea."

Sophie steps forward slightly. "Look, we're not one of those couples people feel awkward about being around because all they do is kiss and act lovey-dovey," Sophie explains. "I promise you won't be a third-wheel."

Somehow, Quinn finds that hard to believe.

She imagines Rachel will not want this dinner to happen any more than she does so perhaps she'll get lucky and Rachel will come up with her own excuses to make sure the dinner doesn't go ahead. She stares at her friend and the look that is being sent back her way silently tells her that no matter what excuses she gives, she's going to end up agreeing.

Releasing a heavy sigh, she gives Sophie a small smile. "I don't think I really have much of a choice. Dinner sounds good."

She'll have to put her faith in Rachel now and pray she's better at persuasion than she is.

The wide smile sent her way makes her realise she's made the right decision in accepting the invitation. At least she's making Sophie happy.

What happened between her and Rachel was a one-off and that's how it's going to stay.

"Brilliant, well I'm supposed to be going round to hers in a bit so I'll let her know," Sophie states, checking the time on her watch. "She's making me watch Funny Girl. It's her favourite film and I've resisted until now but since she came to the Halloween party, even though she didn't really want to, she says I owe her a favour."

"Sounds like fun," Quinn mumbles the words under her breath, too quiet for her friend to hear them. "I really need to go, I'm already so late."

Sophie bobs her head emphatically. "Yeah sorry, have a good day."

* * *

Quinn rubs her temples in an attempt to alleviate her stress. She's not been able to concentrate on work all day and hasn't started writing any of the obituaries she was supposed to. It didn't help that as soon as she walked into her department, Santana started berating her in Spanish, at least that's what she assumed was happening, she can only understand the odd word in Spanish, usually words frequently sent in her direction by Santana.

After she passed Santana, Sylvester decided to throw in her two pence as well, stating that there were plenty of people who would love to have her job and she was lucky she hadn't been fired yet. The only reason she was still here, apparently, was because Sue saw something in her that reminded her of a young Sue Sylvester.

Quinn shudders to think what.

Sophie had texted her about an hour ago stating that Rachel had agreed to dinner and could she do Friday night. That was only three days away, she could always feign an illness and say she's not up for a dinner and yet another meet and greet.

Somehow due to her earlier resistance to the idea, she doesn't think Sophie would buy that excuse. Sophie always knew when she was lying, she knew everything about her.

She knows that when her bottom lip quivered she was about to cry, when she furrowed her eyebrows she was confused unless pursed lips joined them in which case she was angry. Sophie knows that Christmas is Quinn's favourite holiday with Valentine's Day being her least favourite, she knows that Quinn thinks Valentine's Day shouldn't even be a holiday; it's just an excuse for shops to sell generic cards and gifts in order to turn a profit.

"Since I covered your ass this morning, you can cover for me tomorrow," Santana tells her as she leans over Quinn's cubicle.

"You didn't cover for me," Quinn explains. "Sylvester knew I was late."

"It's not my fault you were later than you said you were," Santana replies. "You first said you'd be five minutes so I told Sylvester you were at a gynaecologist appointment. Then it changed to 'I'll be there as soon as I can.' It's not my fault you came in over an hour later; you could have gone along with my lie. You could have told her something isn't quite working in that department so you needed extra treatment."

"Next time just say dentist," Quinn says quietly, rubbing her forehead as she stares at her computer screen. "Why do I need to cover for you tomorrow?"

Santana grabs a chair and pulls it beside Quinn. Sitting down she immediately throws her feet onto the blonde's desk leisurely. Quinn smacks them, silently ordering her to remove them but the Latina simply smirks.

"Britt and I are going to taste cakes for the wedding," Santana explains. "I personally don't think I need to be there, I trust Brittany's judgement so I trust she'll pick the right cake. Britt says I have to come with her otherwise I might not like the cake she picks. Despite telling her food is food, I'll like it regardless, she's insistent."

"It's preparation for your wedding S; it's nice for the couple to plan it together."

"I'd be happy with a quickie marriage in Vegas, all I care about is being married to her but Brittany wants the big white wedding so you'll be getting the invite soon. They went to the printers yesterday."

"You've finally set a date?"

"March 24th."

"I think I'm actually having my hair done that day," Quinn jokes and Santana glares at her.

"Oh no Quinnie, if I have to do the big white wedding, you're most definitely wearing a lovely maid of honour dress, that's going to be one part of the wedding preparation I actually enjoy."

Quinn frowns and stares at Santana who winks at her before removing her feet from Quinn's desk and standing. Santana walks away from her cubicle, only to return within a couple of seconds. "You have a visitor."

"What? Who?"

Santana doesn't answer her; she simply waves to somebody that Quinn can't see before she disappears to her own desk.

When nobody appears from the direction Santana had been waving, Quinn shakes her head, presuming it must have been Santana's idea of a joke. Sometimes she never understood her friend's sense of humour.

She brings her attention back to the computer screen, the white page staring back at her. The cursor taunting her, flashing impatiently, waiting for her to start typing.

"Hello."

She may not really know Rachel but her voice is rather unforgettable and Quinn tugs her bottom lip between her teeth at the gentle tone that laces it. She spins around on her chair to see Rachel shuffling on her feet nervously.

Quinn can't help but notice her attire, the knee-high boots, the winter's coat and the adorable ear muffs the brunette is sporting and the corners of her mouth curl upwards.

"Can we talk?"

* * *

A/N 2 – I have no idea how much a Starbucks is, I never go in England so I have no chance at estimating the American prices so I guessed. Apologies if it's incorrect.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: Rather than thank you all every chapter, I've started responding personally to each review and will continue to do so. However, I can't respond to guest comments so to all guest comments and those who have story alerted/followed or favourite this story, I will say a massive final thank you so I don't bore you each chapter. I really do appreciate them and will continue to appreciate them. The more the merrier ;) Anyway, I won't repeat this next chapter but just know every time I receive an email due to this story, I'm grateful and I smile :) Hope you enjoy and as usual all mistakes are mine.

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

"Can we talk?"

The question is asked incredibly quietly, almost as if the brunette is terrified that Quinn is going to reject her. Quinn barely hears the question, in fact she has to strain her ears to hear Rachel but the delicacy of her voice pains her. She watches the brunette stand nervously, any confidence that she has previously exuded around Quinn has vanished as she removes her earmuffs and plays with the end of her scarf anxiously.

She may have found Rachel sexy when she radiated confidence but now Quinn finds the nerves she is displaying adorable. Nevertheless there is still a myriad of reasons why she can't feel like that and a wave of anger flows through and she directs it towards the brunette briefly in the form of a scowl, before turning her attention back to her computer screen.

"I'm busy."

It's an abrupt answer and unlike Rachel's, Quinn's voice doesn't hold any nerves, its harsh and to the point. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Rachel stiffen quickly, the answer evidently taking her by surprise.

"I don't mind waiting."

The loose paperclips beside her keyboard grab her attention and Quinn slowly moves them one at a time to another place on her desk in a meticulous fashion.

"You don't look very busy."

Her eyes flutter shut at the brunette's words. Truth is, she is busy, the vast amount of obituaries she has to write is only growing the more time she spends staring at a blank screen. Still, it's doubtful she will start any of them today regardless how late she stays. However, staying late in the office staring at a blank screen is a much more attractive prospect to her than having a talk with Rachel.

"I'm taking a break," Quinn tells her, pushing the last paperclip across her desk. "It's supposed to be detrimental for your concentration if you work continuously throughout the day. Small breaks after short bursts of hard work are more beneficial to your work ethic."

Rachel steps forward slightly, glancing over Quinn's shoulder to stare at the blank Word document which rests on the blonde's computer. Her lips curl upwards into a satisfied smirk. "Just exactly how many breaks have you taken today?"

Her right eyelid twitches at the sudden playfulness which laces Rachel's voice and she loses control of the paperclip she was holding and it flies towards the other side of her desk. She ignores the question and calmly moves the paperclip back to the pile. "I don't know how long I will be. I was late in today so I need to stay and make that time up."

Rachel shrugs her shoulders and removes her coat. "I have time, we need to talk and you can brush me off as much as you like but I am nothing if not persistent."

"I'm not brushing you off; I'm just busy with work."

Placing her coat on the back of a chair, she takes a seat beside Quinn and crosses her leg.

"Did I say sit down?"

Her question falls on deaf ears as Rachel picks up today's newspaper off her desk and starts flipping through it nonchalantly. "Like I said, I'll wait."

Her calm composure neatly replaces the nervous disposition she possessed only minutes ago and Quinn finds herself infuriated at the other woman's behaviour.

Does she not realise she's making her uncomfortable?

Or maybe that's why she's doing it.

"I can't work if you're sitting there staring at me."

"I'm not staring at you," Rachel replies from behind the newspaper. "I'm reading about what's been happening in the world."

Quinn's eyelid starts twitching again. It's a nervous tick she developed as a child when her older sister Frannie found her hiding place in hide-and-seek straightaway before reprimanding her for choosing the most obvious place to hide. The disappointed of being discovered coupled with frustration that her sister had bested her caused her right eyelid to spasm. Ever since then, whenever Quinn feels likes she is losing control of a situation, or feels like somebody is beating her, her eyelid spasms ever so slightly.

An annoying habit that she grew into rather than out of.

"Is that tick?"

"What?" Quinn replies brusquely.

"The twitching of the eyelid, that's twice you've done it since I've been here."

"I thought you weren't staring at me," Quinn questions before bringing her attention to Rachel, only to find the brunette's eyes firmly on her rather than the current events displayed in the newspaper.

"I'm observant."

Quinn sighs heavily. "Galaxy diner, it's a quaint little place a few blocks from here, on 9th avenue. I'll meet you there in an hour," she tells her, in a hope that the brunette will be appeased by her solution.

She may not want this talk but under Rachel's scrutinising gaze, she finds herself shifting uncomfortably in her chair and desperately wants to feel at ease once more.

When Rachel stands and shrugs her coat on, she can't help but smile as relief floods through her. Out of the corner of her eye she observes the brunette placing her ear muffs back on and buttoning up her coat.

"I'll see you in an hour Quinn."

* * *

She's less than a minute away from the diner when she contemplates turning around for the fifth time since she left work. No doubt Rachel would just continuously turn up at her work place if she didn't make an appearance. The last thing she needs right now is Santana to start questioning why Sophie's girlfriend frequently visits her for a chat.

Santana told Quinn a couple of years ago that she possesses a Mexican third eye which enables her to sense things and it's true. Santana's always been able to tell when somebody is lying, when somebody is upset, when somebody is hiding something. If Rachel shows up at her work once more, Santana will notice the tension that lurks between them and surmise that something is wrong.

As she rounds the final corner, she spies Rachel waiting outside the diner, her back to Quinn.

She attempts to plaster confidence on her face as she walks towards the brunette but the nerves that are swimming through her stomach overpower her will to be confident and she's pretty sure her face betrays her. Rachel must possess an attribute similar to Santana's Mexican third eye as she turns around and looks at her, even though she's still a good way away from the diner.

It's too late to back out now.

Due to the fact that there is still a significant distance between them, Quinn can't be sure if Rachel's mouth curls into a smile or whether she's mistaken.

"Why are you standing outside in the cold?" Quinn questions lightly as she finally reaches the brunette, noting Rachel is no longer wearing ear muffs.

"I didn't want to be sat inside when you stood me up, I thought it looked better if I stood outside, that way if you didn't come, I could just walk away and save myself embarrassment," Rachel replies, tugging at the bottom of her coat. "I wasn't sure you were coming. Did you know you're twenty minutes late?"

Yes, she did know that. She had done it intentionally in the hope that Rachel would grow tired of waiting for her and leave.

She was right when she said she was persistent.

"I guess I lost track of time."

Rachel frowns at her and Quinn knows she doesn't believe her but that's neither here or there. She opens the door to the diner and allows Rachel to go in first.

"How very chivalrous of you Quinn."

Quinn has to stop herself from releasing the door on Rachel, she didn't mean to be chivalrous towards the brunette but it's a force of habit. Her parents had brought her up with manners and it's the way she treats everybody, she doesn't need the brunette reading into it and thinking that she isn't still annoyed at her.

Sighing to herself she follows the brunette inside and heads towards the counter as Rachel stands awkwardly just inside the door. Quinn picks a menu off the counter before tapping Rachel on the shoulder and pointing towards a table in the corner of the diner. She strolls towards it, glancing over her shoulder every now and again to make sure Rachel is still following her.

"Do you come her often?" Rachel asks as she takes a seat opposite Quinn.

"Is that a chat-up line?"

Rachel blanches and starts unbuttoning her coat. "No, I…I was just…I would never…"

"Relax Rachel, it was a joke," Quinn tells her, putting an end to the embarrassed brunette's stuttering. With a shrug of her shoulders, she answers Rachel's question. "Sometimes"

That's a lie but she doesn't feel the need to divulge her life details to somebody she hardly knows. Truth is she frequents this diner regularly. She likes it here; it's quiet yet has an atmosphere that Quinn likens to a 1950s diner. She's one of the regulars and as a result she knows the other regulars.

They all share a somewhat tentative friendship, they're never going to be best friends but occasionally they will share the odd conversation with each other and learn a little bit about one another.

There's Claire, a single mother whose eight month old baby will only settle when the jukebox plays one of Elvis Presley's records. There's Douglas, the retired High School teacher who comes in every Monday and Thursday night, orders steak and fries before sitting on her own and reading quietly to himself, his latest book is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Although he's not here today, Martin usually sits at the table behind Rachel, using the diner as an escape from his parent's constant arguments. Finally there's Annie, one of the waitresses who works here part-time around her college work as a means to earn a little extra money for her future.

"Here you go," Quinn says pushing the menu across the table to Rachel.

"What's this for?"

"I don't know whether you know this but menus are a convenient way to peruse the selection of food and beverages offered by a certain establishment such as this one."

"I know the uses a menu has to offer, my question 'what's this for' was referring to my confusion as to why you are handing me a menu."

"Are you always this hard work?"

Rachel frowns. "I refute that statement, I am not hard work. I am simply not hungry, and therefore I have no need to look at a menu."

"Well forgive me for not being able to read your mind and telepathically reaching the conclusion that you didn't want something to eat." Quinn runs her fingers through her hair as she eyes Annie approaching the table. "Do you at least want something to drink? A short answer would be much appreciated."

"I'll get myself an orange juice."

Annie comes to a halt beside them and gives them both a small smile. "Quinn, we don't normally see you on a Tuesday, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Just keeping you on your toes."

Annie chuckles. "No Santana today?" Quinn just shakes her head. "Okay, do you want the same as normal?"

"I think I'll skip the food today and just have a drink please," Quinn replies. "But can you make it two orange juices instead of one."

"Of course," Annie replies, bringing her attention to Quinn's guest. "Can I get you something to eat?"

"Oh no, I'm fine thank you."

"Okay, I'll bring your drinks right over," Annie states before disappearing to another table.

"Just sometimes?"

Quinn's eyebrows furrow. "I'm sorry?"

"You said you come here sometimes but I'm guessing it's more than that if the waitress knows your order."

"Maybe I'm just incredibly predictable." She drums her fingers against the table impatiently. "Somehow I doubt that the topic of conversation you had in mind when you suggested we talk was not about my eating habits."

"I thought making small talk might break the ice so we needn't feel awkward when we progress into the inevitable conversation that we will eventually have," Rachel explains before ducking her head out of discomfiture. "I thought it might make things easier and allow us to form a somewhat comfortable bond with each other."

"Do you feel comfortable right now?"

Rachel shakes her head slowly. "Not particularly but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to make this conversation a little easier."

"Just start talking about what you wanted to talk about, don't bother beating around the bush."

Annie reappears and places the orange juices in front of both women before giving Quinn a cheeky smile. Quinn returns it and waits for the waitress to disappear once more.

"You two seem pretty friendly."

Quinn whips her head back to face Rachel and has to stifle a laugh. "Are you seriously implying what I think you are?"

"I'm not implying anything; I was just noting that you and the waitress seem rather friendly."

Taking a sip of her orange juice the blonde scoffs to herself. "I haven't slept with her. I know that's what you were thinking but I haven't."

"As I said, I wasn't implying anything," Rachel asserts but the statement suppresses the surprise jealously that appeared in her stomach at the friendliness between Quinn and the dark haired waitress. She's about to speak again when Quinn interrupts her.

"Why did you tell me your name was Elle?"

Rachel's eyes widen as Quinn finally asks the question that will commence the inescapable conversation. "It just slipped out."

"A name doesn't just slip out unless it's your own, people usually pause before saying a name if it's a lie to give them a chance to think but you didn't."

"Have you ever seen the play Wicked?" Rachel asks.

Quinn shakes her head, confused by the sudden change in topic of conversation. "Musical theatre isn't really my thing."

Rachel gasps dramatically at Quinn's response and the blonde can't help but wonder how much her comment has offended the other woman.

"Well it's a play about the Witches of Oz, a parallel if you will of the Wizard of Oz."

"Just because I've never seen it doesn't mean I want a synopsis Rachel. Can you just skip to the part where you explain why you called yourself Elle please?"

"One of the characters is called Elphaba," Rachel explains and Quinn frowns at her. "I assure you that this isn't a continuation of the synopsis suggesting that I ignored your plea. It is related to my answer and the reasoning behind the name. Well Elphaba is my favourite character and I guess that's where Elle came from, although I can't say for sure since I was rather surprised myself when the name fell from my lips but I would hazard a guess that it is likely as a result of Elphaba."

"I have another idea as to why you told me a different name?"

"Would you care to enlighten me?"

"Maybe it made you feel better about cheating on your girlfriend if you used a different name."

"Don't you dare play the martyr," Rachel spits. "You said it didn't matter if I was in a relationship or not."

"I didn't know you were in a relationship with my best friend!" Quinn whispers harshly. "I would have cared then."

"So you do have some standards then."

Quinn runs her fingers through her hair once more, her breath ragged with irritation. "You can paint me as the bad guy in this all you want but you are just as much too blame as me."

"I know that, I'm not trying to put all the blame on you," Rachel declares, releasing a sign of exasperation. "You and I both know that if my girlfriend wasn't Sophie, you wouldn't care about what we did. You wouldn't care that I cheated."

"Well that's really a moot point now isn't it? Considering your girlfriend is Sophie and I do care."

Rachel rests her elbow on the table and rests her chin on it, shielding herself from any onlookers. "I'm sorry I gave you a false name, if it makes you feel any better, I regretted it the minute it left my mouth but it was too late to take it back."

"You should have just told me your real name."

"I realise that but like I said, I'm sorry. I don't know what more you want me to say on that subject."

Quinn purses her lips and reads through the menu in order to avoid meeting brown eyes. "It's just been strange thinking of you as Rachel rather than Elle."

As soon as the words leave her mouth she stiffens. She was not supposed to admit to thinking about the brunette. Ensuring her gaze is fixated on the menu, she waits for Rachel to speak.

"You think about me?"

Quinn ignores the question, silently praying that Rachel will change the topic of conversation. There's several seconds of perturbed silence before Rachel finally speaks again. "I think it's about time we address the pivotal aspect of this conversation. We had sexual intercourse –"

Quinn grins at the choice of word. "What is it with you and sexual intercourse?"

"I find most other words too crass for my liking "

"Like fucking?"

Rachel tuts quietly under her breath at the obscenity but her eyes hold a playful glint. "As I was saying, we need to find some way to deal with it to ensure that things won't be uncomfortable between us. We're obviously going to be in each other's lives for the foreseeable future and if we're constantly ignoring each other, people may start to be suspicious."

"Rachel –"

"We've both agreed to dinner on Friday night and Sophie's intuitive, she'll sense if something is not quite right between us so we need to sort this out."

Quinn takes a sip of orange juice before circling the rim of her glass with her finger. "Okay, you want to sort it out, let's do it. Why the fuck –"

"There is no need to use such crude language," Rachel admonishes briefly, successfully interrupting the blonde.

With a roll of her eyes, Quinn continues. "Fine, why the hell did you sleep with me if you had a girlfriend?"

The reply is instantaneous.

"I was drunk."

Quinn's response is just as quick. "Don't lie to me."

Rachel huffs through vexation. "I was attracted to you," she admits. This time it's her who has to drop her gaze to the table to avoid intense hazel eyes. "I guess you made me feel something that I hadn't felt before." She starts fiddling with her fingers nervously. "I'd had a bad day and you were right when you said I wanted somebody to talk to. You were also right when you said I enjoyed your company. Just so you know I didn't go to the bar with the intention of cheating on my girlfriend but then you appeared beside me and the way you looked at me –" Rachel pauses, thinking of the right way to phrase what she wants to say. "You made me feel wanted and special. You made me feel attractive."

"And Sophie doesn't make you feel like that?"

"We're not talking about her right now, you asked me why I slept with you and I'm telling you."

"The morning after we –" Quinn raises her eyebrows ensuring that Rachel understands, not that she's being very subtle. Rachel blushes but nods in understanding. "She came round to see me and told me that last time she saw you, you argued. Is that true?"

"We may have had an argument yes."

"There's only two answers to the question, yes or no."

"Yes, we argued," Rachel replies. "I was in a bad mood and I snapped at her. I didn't mean to but I did."

"Were you at the bar because you were angry at her?"

"No."

"Did you want to get back her for some reason?"

"No."

"Did you cheat on her out of spite?"

"No."

With each no, Quinn can tell Rachel is growing increasingly more maddened at the questions directed at her.

"Is Sophie the reason you'd been crying?"

"Sophie had nothing to do with why I was crying."

"Then why were you?"

Rachel smacks her hand against the table causing several other people to look in their direction. "Stop trying to analyse my motives that night, I didn't have any. As for why I was crying, I don't know you well enough to divulge that titbit."

"You knew me well enough to sleep with me."

She watches as the brunette stands through annoyance. "There's no reasoning with you is there? What's the point in even bothering?"

"Sit down," she orders sternly. When Rachel looks at her in disbelief she adds a quiet please.

It takes a couple of minutes before Rachel obliges and reluctantly sits back down. "Let's just get a couple of things straight. You don't need to know my reasoning for going to the bar. What you do need to know is that I didn't do anything with you as some form of twisted revenge or payback on Sophie. As I said earlier, I felt something when you looked at me. It's like you actually looked at me rather than through me. That's how I knew you were actually a nice person deep down and not just somebody who sleeps with anybody with a pulse."

Quinn bites down on her bottom lip, internally debating whether she should give Rachel the truth or lie. The truth would be that there was something about the brunette that Quinn couldn't stay away from, even now she knows the truth, she still finds herself unable to stay away from the brunette.

Otherwise she would have been able to turn around and walk back to work rather than come here.

"I looked at you the same way I look at everybody," Quinn lies bitterly. "I wanted to sleep with you, that's why I made the effort, no other reason. I'm not the person with a sympathetic ear, if you wanted that, you should have gone to your girlfriend."

She expects Rachel to shout at her or to storm away from her but what she doesn't expect is for Rachel to smile softly at her. "Now who's lying?"

"You don't know me okay, stop acting like you do."

"I think my observation of you was pretty accurate actually," Rachel states calmly, drinking some of her own juice. "You even said yourself that I had described you perfectly, even down to the heartbreak. I'd say that I do know you Quinn."

"No, knowing the kind of person I am and knowing me are two different things. You may think you're clever for…" Quinn thinks for a moment. "…guessing about my backstory but that was all it was. A guess. You got lucky."

"Maybe I should start playing the Lotto."

In spite of herself Quinn chuckles slightly.

"In order to prevent further confusion in the future, I want to inform you that nothing is going to happen between us again."

The blonde arches an eyebrow as her eyes widen. "I know that, do you really think I would want something to happen between us now I know you're dating Sophie. I'm not going to hurt her, you may be okay with that but I'm not."

Okay, that was a rather low accusation.

"How dare you!" Rachel spits. "What happened between us was a drunken mistake and you have no idea how much I regret it. I hate the fact that I've cheated on Sophie, I love her and I never wanted to hurt her. You have no idea how terrible I feel, how disgusted with myself I am, how guilty I feel whenever I look at her."

"I think I have some idea."

Her words are uttered too quietly under her breath for Rachel to hear.

"Do you want to know something ironic?" Rachel asks, continuing before Quinn can answer. "Sophie told me about you, actually warned me about you would be more appropriate. Before we were introduced she told me that I should be wary of you because you had a reputation and the line between harmless flirting and making a mistake are blurred to you."

"She said that?" Her voice breaks as she speaks and although she tried her hardest to contain the fact that the comment hurt her, her voice has just given it away. "Well it's not true."

"It's not?"

"No –" Quinn cuts herself off mid-sentence and her eyes flash from hurt to anger as she stares at the other woman. "Did you know who I was?"

"I'm sorry?"

"When we met, did you know who I was?" Quinn questions. "You've just said that Sophie told you about me and Quinn isn't a very popular name so you must have known it was me."

"I didn't."

"Did you decide sleeping with your girlfriend's best friend was adequate punishment for whatever she did to annoy you?"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I wasn't trying to punish her?" Rachel states angrily. "I didn't know who you were," she replies rapidly. "She always referred to her best friend as Q. She may have told me your name was Quinn at some point but if she did, it was a while ago. This isn't some sort of lurid scheme, like I said it was a mistake."

"Okay."

"If I had told you my name was Rachel, would you have known I was Sophie's girlfriend?"

Quinn shakes her head meekly. "I guess not."

"And by the way, I'm willing to bet that you're not the only Quinn in New York City therefore the probability of you being Sophie's best friend is rather slim."

"Okay," Quinn repeats. "I believe you didn't know who I was."

"It is just a rather unfortunate coincidence."

"There are no coincidences, only the illusion of coincidence," Quinn says softly.

"Come again?"

"It's from V for Vendetta," Quinn explains. "It's a film with Natalie Portman, it's about a freedom fighter who goes by the name 'V'…and you don't really care for the synopsis just like I didn't earlier."

"So you're saying the fact that we met and we both have connections to the same person wasn't a coincidence?"

Maybe it was fate?

"I don't know."

Rachel glances at her watch quickly. "I have to go. I'm supposed to be meeting Sophie."

"I thought you'd already seen her."

"I did but then she had to go help her mom with something so we agreed to meet up again later," Rachel explains, grabbing her coat from the back of her chair. "Just to clear up any uncertainty or worries you may have, I'm not going to tell her about what happened between you and me. I don't like lying to her but I would dislike hurting her even more and since our rendezvous was a one-time thing, there's no reason for her to know. If I can spare her feelings, I will."

"I'm not going to say anything either," Quinn replies adamantly. "Like you said, why hurt her unnecessarily.

Rachel shrugs her coat on and buttons it up. "May I ask what the situation between us is now?"

Quinn takes a sip of her drink and shakes her head. "I highly doubt our situation has been miraculously solved with this one conversation."

"No, I'd say you're right. I suppose we could always try and be friends?" Rachel suggests, finishing her own orange juice.

Quinn chuckles under her breath. "Friends?"

"I know the suggestion is rather preposterous given our circumstances and I'm fully aware that it is not going to be an easy feat by any means, I mean the fact that we have both seen each other naked is testament to that alone. However, we need to learn to deal with one another and being friends seems to be a logical direction to take."

"Rachel –"

"I'm not expecting us to become best friends but hopefully we'll be able to get past our predicament and move on."

"I suppose I can try and be your friend."

Rachel sends a smile in her direction and the genuineness of it causes her to smile back. The brunette rummages in her bag and pulls out her purse.

"I'll pay for your drink."

"No it's okay; I have the money right here."

"I don't mind."

Rachel hesitates momentarily. "You don't need to do that."

"I know I don't need to," Quinn replies. "Consider it a stepping stone to us becoming friends."

"Thank you," Rachel says and Quinn shrugs the gratitude off. "I better go but I guess I'll see you on Friday?"

Quinn just bobs her head in response and Rachel gives her a shy wave before heading towards the exit of the diner. Quinn watches her go, unsure as to why she suddenly feels weighed down through disappointment that Rachel has left. She's supposed to still feel angry; the brunette lied to her and has inadvertently caused Quinn to feel guilty every time she's near Sophie yet all Quinn can think of is how troubled the brunette was when they first met and how she still doesn't know why.

As she catches Rachel walk past the window, she can't help but smile as the brunette wraps her coat tighter around her.

She can be friends with the other woman; she's certainly capable of it.

That's not the problem.

The problem is, she's not sure whether she can be friends with Rachel without eventually wanting more.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: Hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

She can vividly remember sitting at the top of her stairs when she was younger, listening to the music and chatter that floated towards her from the dining room, her only glimpse into her dad's frequent dinner parties. They had a tendency to invite guests over and cook for them, it was just their nature. She can remember the next-door neighbours coming round, friends of the family, her daddy Hiram's work colleagues and her dad Leroy's work colleagues, including his pompous boss who constantly made inappropriate jokes.

Her daddy's words, not hers.

She would sit at the top of the stairs and watch as the guests walked through their front door, the women dressed elegantly and the men wore suits. These glimpses gave her a look into an adult, formal party rather than the parties that children her age had, not that she had prior knowledge of them since nobody ever invited her to any.

Her dads' always thought she was sleeping soundly but she would creep out of bed and listen to the party occurring downstairs, occasionally hearing raucous laughter and jokes, most of which she didn't understand at the tender age of 8 but found herself mesmerised by the collective laughter that would follow and although nobody could see her, she would laugh along, just to feel involved.

When she asked once why she couldn't sit down and join them, her dad had told her it would be boring for her, lots of stuffy old people whose interests differ significantly from Rachel's interests in musicals.

Still, after seeing her dads' dinner parties, she decided that she would do the same once she was older. She would be a part of the infamous dinner parties that she was never a part of growing up.

Now staring at the round table in Sophie's apartment, five place mats delicately set out, each with a wine glass and the appropriate cutlery; she has a sense of being grown up for the first time.

It's her first dinner party.

Yet the sense of excitement that filled her each time she watched her dads decorate their dining room table in preparation is missing.

"Does this look like I'm trying too hard?"

Rachel turns her head away from the meticulously laid table to see Sophie folding some napkins.

"It's too fancy for dinner isn't it? I should have just kept things simple and not gone crazy overboard turning this into some sort of formal dinner party."

"I like it."

And she does, something just feels off and she doesn't understand why.

"It shows how much effort you've put in," Rachel tells her. "Besides, I highly doubt that everybody is going to focus on your presentation or whether you've set the cutlery out correctly. I think it's safe to assume that everybody is going to be more concerned and interested in the food and whether it's edible."

Sophie bumps her girlfriend's hip as she starts to place the napkins underneath the cutlery. She laughs heartily before placing a free hand over her chest, feigning hurt. "My cooking is not that bad."

This time it's Rachel who laughs. "You attempted to cook for me on our third date and we ended up ordering a takeaway because you burnt the food and set the fire alarm off. I'm also pretty sure that you were seconds away from starting a fire."

"I was nervous," Sophie informs her with a toothy smile. "I wanted to make a good impression and the more I realised I was out of my depth, the more nervous I got hence the whole burning debacle."

Rachel gives her girlfriend a chaste kiss. "Well you needn't have been nervous, even though you didn't fulfil your promise of a home-cooked meal; it was still one of our favourite dates."

"Really? Why?"

The brunette shrugs as she walks towards the fridge and takes out a bottle of white wine, unscrewing the cap. "It showed that you weren't perfect, that you were flawed and capable of making mistakes. It made you human."

Sophie wraps her arms around Rachel's waist from behind and drops a kiss on her shoulder. "Still, that was a one-off," she whispers. "I decided that next time I cooked for you, it would be lovely which is why I've been taking cooking lessons."

Rachel spins around in her girlfriend's arms. "You've been taking cooking lessons?"

The other woman nods. "It was going to be a surprise. I didn't want to have to have the fire extinguisher to hand every time I tried to cook you a romantic meal."

The brunette brings their mouths together and she feels Sophie smile into the kiss. She chuckles as Sophie kisses the tip of her nose and squeezes the auburn-haired woman's hips.

"That's really sweet."

That's one of the things she loves about Sophie, her ability to make her swoon like a love-sick teenager over simple things like cooking.

She's always been able to warm Rachel's heart.

Sophie releases her hold on Rachel and moves towards the oven, checking on the two casseroles. "Wait until you taste it, it's entirely possible that I might need to ask for a refund."

* * *

When Sophie had suggested dinner, she fully expected a phone call or a text giving her a time and a restaurant to meet her and Rachel. What she didn't expect was to be told that instead of visiting a restaurant, Sophie was cooking for them.

A chicken and red-wine casserole for everybody bar Rachel, who would instead be eating vegan moussaka.

It's effectively the start of their tentative friendship and friendships are all about learning about one another.

That's the first thing she's learned about Rachel tonight, she's Vegan.

Something else she didn't expect was for there to be more guests.

Although technically the extra guests had been her fault. Santana had asked her yesterday if she wanted to go out with her and Brittany to the new bar that had opened a couple of blocks away from the engaged couple's building. Rather than just declining, she had made the mistake of informing the Latina that she already had plans for Friday night which consisted of her having an uncomfortable dinner with Sophie and Rachel in an attempt to get to know the brunette better, even though considering she's seen the brunette naked, she already knows her better than Sophie thinks.

Okay, so she didn't tell Santana anything apart from the fact that she was having dinner with the couple.

Before she knew it, Santana declared that both she and Brittany would join them. Apparently, the bubbly blonde wanted to reconnect with her old high school friend and since Sophie was already excited about hosting a dinner party, she was more than happy to accept two more guests.

The more the merrier.

Quinn feels that by the end of the night, that statement will prove untrue.

Being a third wheel to Sophie and Rachel would have been bad enough but being a fifth wheel to Sophie, Rachel, Brittany and Santana is even more unbearable than she imagined.

Sandwiched between Santana and Rachel on a couch whilst Brittany sits on the armrest, talking animatedly to Rachel, Quinn contemplates whether it's too late to feign an illness.

Santana hands her a glass of wine and she sends a grateful smile in her friend's direction before taking a large gulp of the drink.

Maybe she can just fall back on good old intoxication to help her survive the evening.

"Take it easy Quinn," Santana admonishes briefly. "I'm planning to stay sober till at least the meal is over then I'll be joining you. It's not going to work if you're off your face before dinner."

"It's one glass," Quinn tells her. "Anyway, I'm just thirsty."

Santana places her own glass of wine back onto the coffee table.

"Can you please use a coaster Santana? This coffee table is mahogany and it would be a shame to stain it."

The Latina rolls her eyes at Rachel's comment, muttering why she minds since it isn't even her apartment and brings her attention back to Quinn.

Rachel looks rather shocked at the blatant disregard for her request but Quinn just rolls her eyes, its usual behaviour for Santana.

Rachel will soon learn that Santana doesn't mean any harm by it; it's just the way she is.

A lovable "bad-ass".

Quinn slides a coaster underneath Santana's glass and she doesn't miss how Rachel beams with gratitude at the simple gesture.

She grabs an extra coaster from the edge of the coffee table for when she sets her own glass down in the hope that she'll see Rachel's face light up again.

Santana shuffles slightly before whispering quietly into her ear so neither Rachel nor Brittany will be able to hear her. "You know she's not how I pictured her."

"Who?"

"Berry."

Quinn simply frowned, concentrating on keeping her gaze on the fireplace in front of her rather than glance at the brunette beside her whose leg is neatly pressed against her own. "Who's Berry?"

"Sophie's girlfriend," Santana explains, pointing towards the brunette. "Her name is Rachel Berry."

She didn't know that, that's the second thing learned about Rachel.

"So naturally you call her by her surname rather than her first name?" Quinn questions and Santana shrugs.

"Blame Puckerman, I'm so used to calling him by his surname, I've started doing it quite a lot for other people."

Quinn tilts her head at the logic. "Why isn't she how you pictured it?"

"Brittany gave me a description of her from high school and she is not how Brittany described. Apparently she used to wear animal sweaters and knee high socks, she was bullied and people threw slushies at her," Santana tells her. "I didn't imagine her to be as hot as she is from that description; I was fully expecting a nerdy girl. Sophie's done well for herself."

Quinn kicks her friend in the shin as discreetly as she can, jealousy seeping through her as Santana's eyes rake appreciatively over Rachel. "Don't ogle her S."

"I'll have you know I was staring at Brittany," Santana defends. "Anyway, don't think I didn't notice the way your eyes lingered on her ass when she went to the bathroom a while ago, I'm pretty sure you were drooling."

Her cheeks flush. "I wasn't looking at her ass," Quinn whispers. "I was appreciating her shoes."

"If you say so."

"The food is ready now guys," Sophie states from the kitchen and Rachel jumps up immediately to help her girlfriend with the plates.

"I can see what you mean. Her shoes are really nice."

Quinn follows Santana's gaze to see the brunette wearing a pair of tights with no shoes in sight. She hears the Latina chuckle beside her and kicks her once more before swallowing another mouthful of wine.

* * *

It's rather surprising how even though the conversation is flowing and never stopping, she finds it more uncomfortable than if they were eating in silence. Still, whenever a question is directed her way, she smiles and answers it politely, silently hoping that nobody notices she's not really paying attention to the conversation.

Last time she re-focused her attention on the conversation, Brittany was telling everybody about the recital the children in her dance studio are doing in the run-up to Christmas and it's adorable how focused and determined they are.

Santana was of course staring at Brittany with pure unadulterated love as she talked and Quinn had smiled when Brittany returned the look, it's heart-warming to see that after three years they still look at each other as they did the first day they met.

She thinks that was about ten minutes ago but she can't be sure. She brings her attention back to her food and pushes some of her vegetables around her plate, tuning everybody else out. Out of the corner of her eye, she can't help but notice how Rachel doesn't seem to be paying attention either.

At least she's not alone.

She feels a sharp elbow in her ribs and the shock causes her to jump ever so slightly. Glaring at Santana, her eyes narrow. "What was that for?"

"Britt was talking to you and you were ignoring her."

Her face relaxes and she sends an apologetic look in Brittany's direction.

"It's okay San; she must have been enjoying her food too much because she looked really concentrated." Brittany places a hand on her fiancée's knee and starts rubbing soft circles with her thumb.

"What were you saying Brittany?" Quinn asks quietly, feeling scrutinised as all eyes fall upon her.

"That you should go on a date with Karen."

"Karen?"

Brittany nods. "She teaches a dance class with me and she's really lovely, she's totally a unicorn too and I think you'd hit it off with her. She also teaches hip-hop to the children and you should see her, she's really flexible. It's sexy."

"I'm not really interested in being set up on a date Brittany but thank you for thinking of me," Quinn replies, bringing her attention back to her food as she scoops some vegetables onto her fork and eating them.

She's pleasantly surprised by how delectable the food is. Sophie could never cook whilst they were growing up.

Toast was about as far as her culinary skills would allow.

Maybe Rachel taught her?

"You need somebody though Quinn," Brittany states, taking a sip of her wine. "Then instead of sitting there like a sad panda, you could have somebody to talk too and play footsie with like San and I are doing."

Sophie frowns at them before chuckling whilst Rachel glances underneath the table in order to decipher whether Brittany is telling the truth.

"I'm not a sad panda Britt."

She feels a foot stroke hers and her eyes dart around the table but nobody is acting out of the ordinary or looking at her. A foot strokes hers once more and her gaze falls to Rachel, wondering if it's her.

But why would she be flirting with her when she just wanted to be friends?

She shakes her head when her eyes fall on Sophie who is currently sending flirtatious looks in Rachel's direction.

Sophie must have been aiming for Rachel but since Quinn is sitting beside the brunette, she incidentally became the mistaken target.

Sophie has always had poor aim.

Quinn crosses her legs before swallowing a large mouthful of wine at the knowledge that Sophie is trying to playfully flirt with her girlfriend and indirectly flirting with her.

She feels stupid for thinking it could be Rachel.

Of course it wouldn't be her.

"Did you ever hear back from that Elle girl?" Sophie asks as she eats the last bit of her chicken before placing her cutlery on top of her plate. "You could have invited her tonight."

"Who's Elle?" Both Santana and Brittany ask at the same time and it's still incredibly creepy how in tune they are with one another. Brittany giggles quietly at the simultaneous speaking with her fiancée.

"She hasn't told you about her?"

"Sophie," Quinn warns quietly but her friend doesn't hear her.

"Does little Quinnie have a crush?" Santana teases and it takes all her strength not to kick her friend for the third time that night. If she wasn't worried about missing her target and kicking somebody else underneath the table, she would.

Apparently it's easily done.

A quick glance at Rachel shows the brunette deeply fascinated with aligning her cutlery properly. "No I do not have a crush."

"That's not what it seemed like the other week," Sophie continues and Quinn knows she's only trying to be nice but she really wishes the conversation would end. "You looked rather smitten when you were telling me about her."

Quinn blushes profusely whilst Rachel raises her head.

She clears her throat and takes a sip of her wine. "I was not smitten, how could I be? I barely knew –" She shakes her head. "Barely know the woman."

"I thought you wouldn't have minded seeing her again?"

"Sophie, this isn't really dinner conversation," Quinn says. "Britt, why don't you tell us more about your dance recital?"

Brittany opens her mouth to speak but Santana beats her to it. "On the contrary Q, I'm finding this conversation fascinating."

Quinn swallows another mouthful of wine and suddenly she feels a foot stroke hers again, not in the playful sense this time rather a comforting gesture. She doesn't need to look up to know its Rachel, a silent gesture that indicates Rachel feels for her.

Almost as quickly as her foot had appeared, it disappears.

"The reason you find this conversation fascinating Santana is because you take pleasure in making other people uncomfortable."

"Don't you want Rachel to know about your sexual escapades?" Santana replies before directing her attention to the aforementioned brunette. "She's not normally this cagey when it comes to her one-night stands; she usually tells us all about them. Your presence must be making her shy."

If anything, her cheeks flush even more.

It's ironic how right Santana is but for the wrong reasons.

"What was she like in bed Q?"

"Santana!" Quinn admonishes her sharply and finds herself craving the sympathetic gesture from Rachel once more.

"It's okay if she wasn't very good," Brittany tells everybody and Rachel darts her attention towards Quinn to gage the blonde's reaction but Quinn simply ducks her head. "Santana wasn't very good when we first started having sex –"

"Brittany!" Santana shouts her fiancée's name before shaking her head and whispering quietly so only Brittany could hear.

"You interrupted me before I finished though babe, I was going to say you're mind-blowingly amazing now," Brittany says, a little upset that she has offended her fiancée. She kisses Santana's cheek and whispers a tender I love you and Santana's features soften although Quinn knows her ego will be bruised and when the engaged couple get home, Santana will probably seek approval from Brittany with regards to their sex life. "I'm sure if this Elle girl wasn't very good, she'll get better."

Quinn drinks more of her wine, gulping it quickly before speaking. "Fine you really want to know, she was as you put it Brittany, mind-blowingly amazing."

The wine had just been sliding down her throat when Quinn had announced loudly that she was amazing in bed. She starts to cough and splutter and Sophie quickly rubs soft circles on her back, asking her if she's okay repeatedly.

Once her coughing fit has subsided, Rachel gives her girlfriend's knee a comforting squeeze. "I'm fine. The wine must have just gone down the wrong way," Rachel tells her, her eyes finding Quinn's for only a second before the other woman blushes and ducks her head.

"Mind-blowingly amazing hey Q," Santana repeats. "You don't usually throw that word around; she must have been something special."

"Can we please change the subject?" Quinn pleads, knowing how much pleasure Santana will be gaining from this.

Normally she wouldn't mind these conversations, they're standard for when the foursome get together but when her one-night stand is, obliviously to everybody else, sitting at the same table, an air of tension settles around her and she doesn't feel right talking about their night together.

She doesn't want to divulge dirty details.

"I agree," Rachel chimes in. "Hearing about Quinn's sexual escapades is hardly polite dinner conversation, especially since there's two fully fledged couples here and Quinn must be feeling a tad uncomfortable already being the only single one without the detailed probing into her sex life."

Quinn sends a grateful smile in the brunette's direction.

Sophie pecks her girlfriend's cheek and sends a small smile Quinn's way before mouthing the word sorry. Quinn shrugs it off because she's not to know why the blonde is praying for silence right now. "So who wants dessert?"

* * *

"You didn't need to lie before."

Quinn pours herself another glass of wine as Rachel comes to rest beside her, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Lie about what?"

"When you said I was mind-blowingly amazing," Rachel replies, shaking her head as Quinn offers the wine to her. "I know you were just trying to bring the conversation to an end but nevertheless I appreciate the compliment, even if it wasn't the truth."

Quinn tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "What makes you think I'm lying?"

Rachel shrugs her shoulders as she tidies some plates away. "I distinctly remember you assuming that I wasn't very experienced when it came to sexual intercourse and you weren't wrong. I'm not. You, on the other hand, are very experienced so I'm sure I didn't live up to your expectations."

"I thought you wanted to forget what happened between us. Why do you want to know whether I was lying?"

"I never said that," Rachel tells her. "I said we should try and be friends but it is impossible to forget what happened between us since it has impacted both of our lives. I'm not trying to reminisce here; I just wanted to offer you my gratitude for the compliment."

Her right hand reaches for Rachel's left before she can stop it. "I wasn't lying Rachel, I meant what I said."

Rachel's features light up for a moment before she collects herself and sends a soft smile in Quinn's direction.

Something about this just feels right, the way Rachel hasn't pulled away from her, the way Quinn felt to need to quash Rachel's doubts, the way theirs hands fit together perfectly.

It's overpowering, the desire to keep Rachel's hand in her own but the appearance of Sophie walking out of her bedroom causes her to release the other woman's hand as if she'd been burnt.

"You didn't need to tidy up babe," Sophie states as she leans across the kitchen counter to kiss her girlfriend's cheek. "I would have done it."

"You cooked, it's the least I could do."

"I love you."

Quinn blinks before looking towards the ceiling. She tells herself that the unsettling feeling which has suddenly appeared in the pit of her stomach is due to the fact that she is encroaching on a personal moment.

"I love you too."

When Rachel sends the statement of adoration back, Quinn can't lie to herself anymore.

The unsettling feeling is not due to discomfort rather jealously.

Quinn picks up her glass of wine and shuffles past Rachel before heading towards Brittany and Santana who are currently occupying the entire couch as they cuddle whilst watching whatever movie Brittany has chosen.

"Hey Q," Sophie shouts, rushing up behind her. "I didn't mean to upset you earlier."

"Upset me?"

"When I asked you about Elle, it was through genuine curiosity because you did seem happy when we talked about her and I want you to be happy Q. I didn't think it would upset you; you're normally more than willing to disclose information about your one-night stands."

"Soph, it's fine, you were just asking a question," Quinn tells her, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "I guess Santana was right, I didn't want Rachel to know about my sexual escapades. I didn't want her to get the wrong impression of me."

Sophie nods in understanding. "When she helped me with dessert she told me off for probing. She said she felt sorry for you and I needed to apologise."

Quinn's heart swells with adoration at that knowledge.

Sophie looks over her shoulder briefly. "Now you've got to know her a bit better, what do you think?" She asks. "Bear in mind that I really love her so I'm not going to appreciate negative comments."

Behind Sophie, Rachel is busying herself in the kitchen, humming to herself whilst she moves around the room sorting out plates and cutlery. The domesticity of it warms Quinn's heart and she finds it hard to tear her attention away from her but regretfully she does.

"She seems lovely Sophie, I'm really happy for you."

"You know, I think she might be the one."

"Isn't it a little early to be saying that?" Quinn questions quietly. "I mean you've not even been together a year, who knows what might happen in the next couple of months."

Sophie frowns. "You could have tried to be a bit happier there Quinn rather than focus on the negative possibilities."

"Sorry, I just –" Quinn pinches the bridge of her nose. "If you think she's the one then that's great."

It's not technically a lie, it is great for Sophie.

Just maybe not for her.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: Hopefully this is the first of three chapters that will be up before Christmas. Hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

It's been three weeks since she had been sat at Sophie's dinner table and bombarded with questions about her one-night stand, Brittany, Santana and Sophie completely unaware that her one-night stand was in fact Rachel and who undoubtedly disliked the topic of conversation just as more as she did.

It's been three weeks since she and Rachel decided to attempt to have a friendship. Initially she had her doubts that they would become friends but she's pleasantly surprised that they have managed to be civil to each other. Quinn bites her tongue whenever she feels the need to berate the brunette for lying to her because that's not the topic of conversation that will build their friendship. She's willing to say that a tentative friendship between her and Rachel is forming, slowly but surely a sense of comfort is developing between the two women.

Obviously due to how they met, occasions where uneasiness lingers still arise, like when they're left alone for several seconds and neither woman finds the courage to speak. Perhaps out of fear they'll say the wrong thing. Or like when their hands accidentally brush together and both girls feel the connection and spark but choose to remain silent.

Because it's easier that way.

Although, if she's being honest, she's sure not whether the hand brushes are accidental.

At least not on her part.

However, they've only seen each other a couple of times since dinner at Sophie's but it has never been just the two of them. The first time Quinn saw her had been coincidental, she had been Christmas shopping for her family and had spotted Rachel and Sophie shopping together. The second time, Rachel had been in Starbucks with a very flamboyantly dressed man who Rachel introduced to her as Kurt.

Quinn can't help but wish there will be a time when it's just the two of them because questions which need to be asked still remain unsaid.

She sends a small wave in Santana's direction before rolling her eyes as her mom continues to talks her ear off about Christmas and how she hopes Quinn is still partaking in the Fabray traditions.

Buying a real tree rather than an artificial one, exchanging one present with somebody on Christmas Eve, attending some form of carol concert and coming to visit her family on Christmas Day.

Quinn moves the phone from her right ear to her left as she waits for her mom to finish showering her with questions.

"Of course I'm going to be partaking in the usual Fabray traditions and yes mom, I'm coming home on Christmas Day to spend a couple of days with you, just like I told you last week and the week before that. What else would I be doing?"

"_Maybe you'd want to spend it with somebody special."_

Her mom allows the statement to linger before Quinn sighs heavily into the phone. "If that's your way of asking me if I'm seeing somebody, firstly well done on the subtly and secondly, no I'm not."

"_Quinnie, you will tell me when you finally get a girlfriend right?"_

"Yes mom, I can assure you that when I finally get a girlfriend, you will be the first to know. I would never in a million years deprive you of the knowledge you've so desperately been seeking for the past six years." Quinn runs her fingers through her hair as she listens to her mother give her a running commentary on her lack of love life, as if she didn't already know.

"_You're getting old. You should really try and find somebody."_

Quinn scoffs into the phone. "What is it with everybody saying I'm getting old? I'm 24."

"_Frannie was married by the time she was 23."_

"Well bully for her," Quinn whispers quietly knowing her mom won't hear her due to her poor hearing. "Mom, I gotta go. I'm at Brittany's dance recital and it's about to start. Give my love to Dad and Frannie and I'll see you at Christmas."

She waits for her mom to say her goodbyes and after a quick I love you, she hangs up the phone just in time to see Brittany bouncing over to her.

Her arms wrap forcefully around her as she crashes into her and it's takes Quinn by surprise and she has to force herself to stay upright.

"Quinn you came."

"Of course I did," Quinn replies. "I wouldn't miss your dance recital after all the hard work you've put into it."

Brittany beams at her. "I hope it's worth the trip," she tells her before leading Quinn to the front of the dance hall where Santana is already sitting cross-legged with her eyes on her phone. "Is Sophie coming?"

"I don't actually know," Quinn replies truthfully. Ever since she found out Rachel was Sophie's girlfriend, her friendship with Sophie has become somewhat strained, and the blame for that falls completely on the blonde. She makes a mental note to spend more time with Sophie over the Christmas season. "I'm sure she'll be along in a while."

Brittany bobs her head and greets her fiancée briefly, quietly telling her to put her phone away and actually act friendly. Quinn chuckles as Santana pouts but does as her girlfriend asks. From behind the side curtain, somebody beckons Brittany and within seconds the bubbly blonde has disappeared.

Quinn takes a seat beside her friend and rummages in her bag, pulling out a bag of gumdrops and offering it to Santana; it's something her mom always used to do when she and her older sister were younger. Whenever they went on a long road trip or went to the cinema, her mom would always bring her own candy rather than pay for overpriced confectionery.

"God Q, you get more like your mom every day," Santana jests in playfully manner but takes an offered sweet. "If you start baking bread in order for your house to smell nice, I'm giving you an intervention."

"What do you mean if I start?" Quinn replies seriously. "You always say my apartment smells nice."

"You haven't?"

Quinn allows herself to smile and shakes her head. "No I haven't, she hasn't taught me how to make bread yet. She's always said her mom taught her and one day she'll teach me," she explains. "Don't worry; I'm pretty sure that day is a long way off. She's too busy focusing on my love life to do anything else."

Santana releases a dramatic sigh of relief. "Good to know." She points to a name on the sheet they've been given which contains all the children's names. There's a girl in Brittany's dance class called Isabella who reminds Britt of me so naturally she'll be amazing."

"I'll have to look out for her."

"Allegedly she's a mini-me so you'll easily spot her."

Quinn's about to respond when she hears somebody sitting beside her and the unmistakeable scent of vanilla and strawberries fills her nostrils.

It's a scent she's not too familiar with but it's unforgettable all the same.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn whispers as the woman beside her gets comfortable.

"I'm here for Brittany," Rachel says as an explanation. "She has been my friend for longer than she's been yours after all, why wouldn't I be here to support her?" Rachel asks, shrugging her coat off. "She's come to watch me perform before. Besides, I've spent some time with her children helping them with their singing and I'm here for them too."

"I didn't realise they were singing too."

"It's just a surprise rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas" at the end, nothing too extraordinary but Brittany asked if I could help."

Almost as if the blonde's ears were burning, she appears before them once again and drags Rachel backstage. Quinn furrows her eyebrows as she watches them both go.

"She seems to be popping up everywhere now," Santana states as she drums her fingers against her knee and Quinn had momentarily forgotten that she was there, it's unlike her to stay silent for so long.

"Define everywhere?"

"At work and then here."

"Two places then," Quinn corrects her. "I don't know what your definition of everywhere is but it's hardly enough to be classified as the aforementioned word. Besides, she's Brittany's friend, why wouldn't she be here?"

Even though she had wondered the same thing.

"Okay I'll give you that one but why did she turn up at work?" Santana questions with a furrowed brow. "Why was Sophie's girlfriend visiting you?"

Quinn feels the back of her neck heating up at the intense stare being sent her way by her friend. "What's with the fifty questions?"

"You sound a bit nervous there Q, something you're not telling me."

The stage is still dark and Quinn is silently praying for it to light up and the recital to start, anything to stop the accusatory tone that the Latina's voice possesses.

"She wanted help with what to buy Sophie for Christmas."

"Really?"

"Why are you questioning this?" Quinn states, trying to remain calm. "She needed my help with a Christmas present for her girlfriend, my best friend, so I helped her."

Santana holds her hands up in surrender. "Alright Q, whatever you say although with the nerves you're giving off, anybody would think you had something to hide."

"I don't have anything to hide." Quinn stands up hurriedly and reaches into her bag, retrieving a cigarette and a lighter. "I'm going to have a cigarette before the show starts, come get me if I'm not back in time."

Santana tuts in her direction before she heads towards the front door and walks outside, inhaling the cold, fresh air. Lighting the cigarette, she brings it to her mouth and breaths in the smoke before blowing it out in one fluid motion.

"Smoking is a disgusting habit you know."

Quinn turns at the voice to see a dark-haired woman sporting thick black glasses and a British accent, leaning against the wall next to her. "So I've been told."

The other woman's mouth curls up into a smile. "I love the smell of cigarette smoke, I used to smoke myself."

"Why'd you stop?"

"I grew tired of people telling me it was a disgusting habit," the woman replies. "You can only hear that so many times before it becomes grossly annoying."

"Maybe you should tell me again and I might stop."

The dark-haired woman laughs before extending her hand. "I'm Karen."

Quinn rakes her eyes over Karen and realises this must be the woman Brittany was hoping to set her up with, unless of course there's another Karen in the vicinity of Brittany's dance recital right now.

She supposes that is always a possibility, albeit a slim one.

She has to hand it to Brittany; the woman is certainly Quinn's type.

"Quinn," she replies, taking Karen's hand.

Unlike when she shook Rachel's hand, there is no spark, no butterflies dance in the pit of her stomach.

It's just a normal handshake.

"Do you work with Brittany?"

Karen nods before shivering a little at the cold. "Yeah, how did you know?"

Quinn takes another drag of her cigarette before looking at Karen and finds herself staring into intense, cobalt eyes. Eyes that could rival Brittany's in the colour department. She shrugs her shoulders before answering. "Lucky guess."

The front door to the dance hall opens and both women turn to look in the direction. "Quinn the show is start –"

Rachel's words fall short in her mouth as she takes in the two women standing side by side, engaging in conversation. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You didn't," Quinn states firmly, her eyes moving from blue eyes to doe-eyed brown ones. "I'll come in now."

Rachel observes the dark-haired woman for several seconds before bobbing her head to show she heard what Quinn said and disappears back inside. But not before she sends Quinn a look of disgust, gesturing towards the cigarette resting between Quinn's fingers.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

Quinn emits something that is a mixture between a cough and a laugh at the question. "What? No. Why did you think that?"

"She just didn't seem to like the fact you were talking to me."

Shaking her head with a scoff the blonde drops the cigarette to the ground and squashes it with her foot. She'd barely even smoked it; maybe stopping would be easier than she thought. "I best head back inside, wouldn't want to miss the show."

Karen murmurs her agreement. "Nice talking to you Quinn, we'll have to do it again sometime."

* * *

Applause fills the dance hall as the children who had performed bow for the audience one last time, all smiling and giggling. Quinn notices that Rachel is clapping with enthusiasm and attempting to whistle but failing terribly. Bringing her fingers to her mouth, she whistles sharply in satisfaction and gives Rachel a smirk and cheeky wink.

The brunette huffs and looks away. Rachel hadn't spoken to Quinn throughout the performance, even ignoring her during the fifteen-minute interval and Quinn can't understand why.

She doesn't know what she's supposed to have done.

Ten minutes after the children leave the stage Brittany appears, a wide smile decorating her features. Santana stands and wraps her fiancée up in a hug, telling her how fantastic she is.

"Brittany that was amazing, you're such a good teacher."

Brittany beams at Quinn's praises as she wraps an arm around Santana's waist, tugging her closer. "Thanks Q but the children did all the work, I just watched them and went along with their ideas."

"Don't put yourself down B, you're amazing," Santana says as she kisses her.

"Do you two want to come back to ours?" Brittany asks. "I just need to make sure all the children are picked up but then we can celebrate."

"I can't," Quinn replies as she fiddles with her car keys. "Too much work to do."

"I should probably leave now as well," Rachel states, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I need to hail a cab before everybody else starts leaving."

"It's better if we celebrate by ourselves anyway," Santana purrs into her fiancée's ear, causing a sheepish grin to appear on the blonde's face.

"I can give you a lift."

Rachel pauses momentarily and Quinn doesn't fail to notice the quirked eyebrow Santana is sending her way. "Are you sure? I don't want to put you out; I'm more than capable of hailing a cab."

"It's fine, I wouldn't have offered if it wasn't okay."

"Okay thank you, I'll just grab my coat."

Rachel briefly disappears and Santana stands still, smirking at the blonde. "How very generous of you Quinn."

* * *

Quinn drums her fingers against her steering wheel as they stop at traffic lights. "Where's Sophie tonight?"

Rachel looks out of the window as Quinn speaks and doesn't bring her attention towards the blonde, instead she watches the elderly couple who are walking along the sidewalk hand in hand. "She's not feeling very well."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I think she's getting the flu," Rachel tells her. "Personally I don't think it's anything more than a cold."

"Sophie has always been dramatic especially when it comes to illness," Quinn explains turning left once the traffic lights change to green. "When we were little and she scraped her knee, she would always act as if she was going to have to have her leg amputated."

Rachel chuckles quietly as she rolls her head so her gaze is directed forward. "Can I switch the radio on please?"

Quinn nods silently as she stops at another set of traffic lights. The gentle tune of orchestral music floats through the car and both women fall into silence that's neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.

"So Rachel," Quinn starts as she turns the volume on her radio down slightly ensuring Rachel will hear her. "What do you do?"

"Do?"

"As in what's your job," Quinn states more clearly. "One of the key elements of friendship is learning about each other so I just thought maybe we could use this car journey to ask questions. The twenty questions game if you will," Quinn suggests. "Although I'm not suggesting we need to ask that many questions, we'll probably only have the chance to ask each other a couple."

Rachel bobs her head and fiddles with her seatbelt "I'm in musical theatre."

"That's why you looked offended when I said it wasn't really my thing and why you helped the children with their singing."

"Of course," Rachel says in jest. "I've always aspired to be on Broadway, I've performed in a couple of plays off-Broadway which is brilliant but I hope to take that performance onto the Broadway stage eventually. A couple of months ago I had an audition to play Elphaba on Broadway."

"Did you get it?" Quinn questions lightly. "Will I be seeing your name up in lights shortly?"

Rachel shakes her head. "Something came up and unfortunately I was unable to attend the audition." Quinn can hear the sadness which laces the brunette's voice and decides not to push it any further. "I've always prided myself on being an optimist so hopefully I'll receive another chance."

"You must be a brilliant singer then."

"Brilliant is an understatement," Rachel replies playfully. "Alongside my optimism is my overbearing sense of confidence."

Quinn laughs and wonders whether if she asked Rachel to sing for her, she would. Not wanting to put pressure on the brunette, she decides against it and focuses her attention on the road ahead.

"What about you?"

"I possess an okay singing voice, I wouldn't call it brilliant but if I went carol singing, I'd probably make a bit of money."

Rachel laughs at the blonde's response. "As useful as that knowledge is, I meant what is your job? I know you work for the New York Times but what exactly do you write?"

"I write the obituaries," Quinn answers. "It's not what I want to do, I'd prefer to write the front-page news but the obits are a stepping stone to that. I mean, I get the last word which is nice," she jokes quietly. "I guess sometimes you have to do things you don't like in order to get what you want."

Somehow Quinn doesn't think that statement just applies to her job.

"Maybe one day we'll both achieve our dreams."

Quinn nods silently. "Which way is it now?"

Rachel glances towards the road. "The next left and then the third right," she explains before scratching a non-existent itch behind her ear. "What's your favourite movie?"

"It's a Wonderful Life," Quinn answers immediately. "It plays in Central Park each year a couple of days before Christmas and it's become a tradition for me to go and see it every year, no matter how many times I've seen it before."

"I've never seen it."

"You should come and watch it in Central Park," Quinn says without even thinking. "They're playing it in a couple of weeks, 23rd December." Once the words leave her mouth Quinn wishes she could take them back, it sounded like she was asking Rachel out.

Luckily Rachel doesn't give any indication that she's planning to take Quinn up on her invitation so she breathes a sigh of relief and turns down the third right, asking Rachel to signal her when they get close to her apartment. "What about you?"

"Funny girl with Barbara Streisand."

Quinn nods. Now Rachel has told her, she can remember Sophie telling her that was Rachel's favourite movie a couple of weeks ago.

Silence fills the car for several seconds before Rachel whips her head towards Quinn. "Was that Karen you were talking to earlier tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Brittany told me earlier how she'd told Karen to ask you out," Rachel comments, bringing her attention back to the window, avoiding Quinn's gaze.

"Did she?"

Rachel clears her throat. "Did she?"

"Are you just repeating what I'm saying?" Quinn says with a chuckle but Rachel doesn't crack a smile. "No she didn't ask me out."

"Okay."

"Why would you care if she did?"

The brunette shakes her head meekly. "I don't."

"Then why ask?"

Rachel doesn't answer; instead she turns the volume of the radio back up and taps her fingers against the car door. "This is me," Rachel states loudly, pointing in the direction of a building on the right hand side of the road. "Anywhere near here is fine."

Quinn pulls her car over right outside Rachel's building.

"Thank you for the lift," she says gratefully as she unbuckles her seatbelt and opens the car door. "I really appreciate it."

Quinn shrugs her shoulders. "Don't mention it; it's better than making you get a cab."

Rachel steps out of the car and hovers beside the car door. Her mouth opens several times but all words seem to escape her. After several seconds of silence, Rachel voices some words although they weren't the ones she was searching for. "Thanks again." She closes the car door behind her and Quinn watches as she walks towards the building, opens the front door and heads inside.

She waits until Rachel's safely inside the building before driving away, turning the volume of the radio up even more, allowing the orchestral music to fill her car once more.

* * *

Rachel closes her front door behind her and rests against it. She mentally scolds herself for asking Quinn about Karen.

It's none of her business what Quinn does or who she talks to.

Resting a hand against her forehead she pushes herself off the door and calls out for Kurt.

"Yes," the voice floats towards her from his bedroom and shortly afterwards, Kurt appears before her. "You're back early; I thought you were spending the night at Sophie's?"

"I was going to but she's not very well."

"You should have called, I would have picked you up," Kurt replies as he heads towards the kitchen and flips the kettle on. "It would have saved you getting a cab."

"Actually Quinn gave me a lift home."

"Who's Quinn?" Blaine questions as he walks out of Kurt's bedroom, his fingers running through his hair in an attempt to calm it down. "Hey Rachel."

Rachel sends a hello back in his direction before copying Blaine and taking a seat on the couch as Kurt moves about in the kitchen, making a ridiculous amount of noise.

"Sophie's best friend."

"You've talked about her a lot the last couple of weeks," Kurt tells both her and his boyfriend. "Considering you don't even really know her, she occupies a lot of our conversations."

"She's a nice person," Rachel replies with a blush. "Besides, she's Sophie's friend so I'm trying to get to know her because we're obviously going to be spending a lot of time together."

"You don't normally take to people straight away."

"I resent that accusation," Rachel declares adamantly.

Kurt releases a high-pitched laugh. "You didn't like me when we first met because we were battling for the same solos and I managed to steal some from you. When I introduced you to Blaine, you accused him of being a spy due to the fact that he was in the Warblers and when you first met Finn," Kurt continues with a smirk. "You thought he was being nice to you because the football players and cheerios had concocted a plot to embarrass you."

"I will have you know that they were all legitimate concerns. You were trying to steal my solos and as you've just admitted, you did steal some. Blaine could have been a spy –"

"I was not a spy."

His statement falls on deaf ears and he huffs silently. He'd already spent months during high school trying to convince Rachel that his only interest in the New Directions was Kurt, not their set-list for Sectionals. If Rachel didn't believe him then, she's not going to believe him now.

"And Finn could have been using me," Rachel continues, ignoring Blaine's interruption. "I never thought he could truly be interested in me."

Kurt starts to fix everybody some hot chocolates. "We're going off on a tangent here. My point was that you don't seem to have any worries regarding this Quinn girl, you're not wary of her and you seem to have befriended her straight away. She must be something special to get the Rachel Berry seal of approval."

"I never said she had the Rachel Berry seal of approval."

Blaine quirks his eyebrow. "Does she?"

Rachel flushes and ducks her head. "I don't know her well enough to give her the Rachel Berry seal of approval but she's definitely on the right path."

* * *

A/N 2: I don't think Central Park plays movies at Christmas but it will play a part in my story in a couple of chapters so please forgive the factual error :)


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: Second of the three chapters that will be up before Christmas. Lots of Faberry in this chapter (in fact, it's all Faberry) so I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Chapter 8: **

She takes a step back to admire her bare Christmas tree before casting a gaze right towards the boxes of decorations and momentarily thinks that she should have bought new decorations. When she had moved into this apartment, her mother had given her some family heirlooms that always deserved pride of place on the tree and Quinn treasures them but the rest she's bought herself, normally the cheaper the better.

Considering she always spends the actual holiday with her family, she has never really been too invested in her own tree, she doesn't put as much time and effort into it as she used to do growing up. Although considering she always have help when it comes to decorating the tree and somebody likes making the effort, she feels like the scraps of tinsel should probably be replaced.

Still, they do their job.

Brittany had visited her yesterday to discuss her upcoming nuptials and within seconds of stepping inside her apartment, she had declared that it's not festive and had begun decorating her entire apartment

There was tinsel scattered around Quinn's windows and fireplace, Christmas cards strewn across her apartment and mistletoe hung above the front door. Brittany hung it personally and told Quinn that she had to kiss everybody who stood underneath it.

It was unlucky not to.

Quinn had rolled her eyes at her friend, politely informing Brittany that the only people who frequented her apartment were her, Santana, Sophie and once in a blue moon, Puckerman. None of whom she'd be kissing anytime soon, all for various reasons, Sophie and Santana because they're in a relationship, Brittany because Santana would kill her if she ever touched her fiancée and Puckerman because she spent years rejecting his advances and telling him in no uncertain terms that she is a lesbian.

Nothing has changed in that respect. He still hits on her when he makes his bi-annual visit from California but she knows it's all in good humour so she plays along.

Regardless of Quinn's reluctance, Brittany had insisted and if there's one thing Quinn has learnt after befriends the blonde; it's useless to argue with her. As a result, mistletoe rests above her door. Brittany had even given her a kiss on the cheek once she passed it just to prove that kisses don't have to be on the lips.

Even though they're the best kind.

"Lil, I'm going to decorate this tree all by myself if you don't come and help me soon," she says, staring at her niece who is engrossed in some form of cartoon on the television.

Lily loves decorating the tree, she's as eager as Quinn was at that age but since this tree is a real one, she didn't find it interesting until it was up and ready to be decorated. Whilst Quinn and Sam had sorted out the tree, sawing the stump to ensure it fit in the stand and vacuuming the fallen pine needles, Lily had switched the television on, waiting until she was needed.

Quinn grabs some Christmas lights from one of the boxes and purposely rustles all the decorations, signalling to her niece that she was deadly serious.

She was starting the tree with or without her.

The noise causes Lily to whip her head away from the television screen and towards her aunt, jumping up and rushing towards.

"No you can't, it's my job."

Quinn laughs and ruffles the smaller blonde girl's hair, something which Lily always scowls at her for.

"Why don't you find some ornaments whilst I put the lights on?"

Lily bobs her head and commences rummaging in the boxes, throwing tinsel and lights out carelessly causing even more mess and Quinn knows she'll have to perform the mundane action of vacuuming once more.

Domesticity has never really been her thing.

Her mind flashes back to the night of Sophie's dinner party and how Rachel advertised her domestic skills in the kitchen, tidying up but humming whilst doing it showing that she enjoyed it and maybe the reason why the sight warmed her heart was because that's the one thing she's not very good at.

Being domestic.

They do say opposites attract after all.

Kneeling down at the base of the tree she tugs gently at the Christmas lights only to discover they're tangled in several places and she swears underneath her breath as she attempts to unravel them, silently praying that they'll still work.

She doesn't want to have to make an unscheduled trip to the shops just for some more lights.

A knock on her door stops her inner musings about whoever invented Christmas lights and why they made them so damn fiddly. She yells for whoever it is to come in, telling them the door is open.

Presuming it must be Sam since he had told her he would probably drop by again before heading back home; she shouts the words over her shoulder. "I hope you're good at untangling Christmas lights because this looks like a long job."

"I don't think I've ever really attempted it but I'll give it a go."

Quinn spins around to see Rachel standing behind her, tugging at her hat to reveal messy brown locks. "Sorry, that wasn't aimed at you. I thought you were somebody else."

"It's okay, I am."

Quinn chuckles as she places the lights down on her coffee table and stands up. Ruffling her niece's hair as she passes her once more, she comes to rest in front of Rachel. "This is a surprise."

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Rachel questions as she glances between Quinn and the child. "I know common procedure is for one to call first rather than just showing up unannounced but I'm afraid I don't have your number and I thought it might look rather peculiar if I asked Sophie for it."

"Is this your way of asking for my number?"

"No it wasn't but I suppose it would be useful if I acquired your number. In case situations like this arise again."

Quinn grabs a nearby piece of paper and a pen, grateful that her mom always instilled the importance of having a pen and paper in her house because you never know when you might need them, and writes her number down before handing it to Rachel.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Quinn tells her with a smile. "You're not interrupting anything by the way, what can I do for you?"

Rachel runs her fingers through her hair as she scans Quinn's apartment. It's the first time she's been here since she fled in the early hours of the morning after their night together and standing in her living room once again causes all the memories of that night to come rushing back.

How after Quinn had fallen asleep, she had laid beside her for several minutes just watching her sleep, entranced by the soft snores she was emitting. Rachel can't help but wonder whether the blonde knows she snores. Or how she had sneaked around the apartment collecting her clothes, terrified to make a noise in case Quinn woke up.

"Rachel?"

"Sorry, I was away with the fairies. You have… I left my scarf in your car after the recital."

"Yeah you did," Quinn tells her. "I was going to drop it off but it kind of slipped my mind, sorry about that." Rachel shakes her head with a smile. "Hold on, I'll just go get it."

Rachel nods as the blonde disappears into her bedroom before reappearing several seconds later holding the neatly folded scarf.

"There you go," Quinn says as she hands over the scarf. "It's really soft." She narrows her eyes and shakes her head in confusion as to why she's just complimented Rachel's scarf.

"I know," Rachel replies with a laugh.

She feels like a besotted teenager, feeling nervous around the brunette and instead of forming coherent thoughts she says think like 'it's really soft' in reference to an inanimate object.

Clearing her throat she brings her attention to the younger blonde who is observing Rachel curiously. "Lily, are you going to say hello to my friend Rachel?"

Lily blushes and ducks her head, re-focusing her attention on the decorations and returning to the job her aunt had set her.

"Sorry, she's really shy around new people," Quinn explains. "Although you should enjoy the silence because once she feels comfortable around you, she'll never stop talking. She takes after her grandmother in that respect."

The lack of hello from the child doesn't deter Rachel and she kneels down so she's eye-level with Lily and beams at her. "Nice to meet you Lily, I'd just like to say I really love your sweater."

Lily looks down at her sweater. It's a special Christmas one with a snowman on that her mom had bought her as an early Christmas present.

"I have an affiliation for novelty sweaters myself," Rachel explains before she remembers that she's talking to a young child. "I love novelty sweaters, I have a few of them myself" she corrects, unbuttoning her coat to reveal a forest green sweater with two Reindeer facing each other.

"Reindeer? Is one of them Rudolph?"

Rachel chuckles before shaking her head sadly. "Unfortunately not but I like the idea, maybe I'll have to invest in a Rudolph sweater."

Lily giggles as the brunette speaks to her before ducking her head. "I like your sweater too."

Quinn is observing the interactions between Rachel and her niece with a wide smile and her heart fills with adoration at the sight. Rachel's the first stranger that Lily has taken to this quickly. Usually Lily stays silent until she's been aware of the adult for several days but not today.

"I best leave you two to your decorating," Rachel says as she stands up, hearing one of her knees crack in the process. She swears sometimes she feels like an old lady rather than a 23 year old. "I only came for the scarf."

"You could always stay and help," Quinn offers.

"I don't really celebrate Christmas."

Quinn scratches her eyebrow. "You don't? That's a bit depressing; I don't know whether we can still be friends after this bombshell."

Rachel gives Quinn a heartfelt laugh. "I'm Jewish so I celebrate Hanukkah."

That's the third thing Quinn has learnt about Rachel.

"Oh," Quinn replies quietly. "That's not depressing then. When is Hanukkah this year?"

"It actually starts on Christmas Eve this year and then ends eight days later on January 1st."

The blonde peers over the couch to glance into the boxes before scrunching her nose up. "I don't have any Hanukkah decorations but if you're not opposed, you could always help us decorate the tree." Quinn allows the statement to linger in the air, silently hoping that Rachel will take her up of the offer. "I mean, if Lily will allow you to help, the tree is her job after all."

Rachel won't be able to say no to a child, will she?

Rachel bends down so she's eye-level with the young child again, who incidentally is the mirror image of Quinn. "Would it be okay if I helped? You can be the boss and I will follow your every command."

Lily stares at Rachel briefly before looking over her shoulder at her aunt who nods slowly and mouths the word yes. Lily smiles shyly before nodding. "Okay."

"Fantastic." Rachel beams back at Lily before shrugging her coat off and throwing it on the back of a chair along with her scarf. "Now Quinn, I do believe you said you needed help untangling lights."

* * *

"Can you reach?"

Quinn questions lightly as she lifts Lily higher, after the young blonde had said she wanted to put the star on top of the tree because it was the most important part. Quinn tightens her hold on Lily before stepping closer to the tree, pushing her stomach against the branches as she moves impossibly closer to the tree.

Lily reaches towards the top branch and Quinn lifts her as high as she can, just enough to enable Lily to places the star haphazardly on top of the tree. Quinn takes a step back and playfully drops Lily onto the couch.

"I'm not sure whether you're going to keep this job next year Lily, what do you think Rachel?" Quinn teases. "Has she done a good enough job?"

Lily bobs her head emphatically towards Rachel, silently telling her that she has done a good enough job.

"I don't think anybody could have decorated your tree better," Rachel comments and is rewarded with a quick hug from Quinn's niece.

She's not sure whether it's the newly decorated tree, the Christmassy feel her apartment now has, the fact that they're participating in family activities and it doesn't feel wrong or the sight of Lily hugging Rachel like she's known her for years but Quinn doesn't want anything to change.

She wants to freeze the moment exactly how is because it's perfect.

Everything about is perfect.

Settling for a picture, she grabs her phone from the coffee table. "I need to take a picture of the tree," Quinn states, a slight white lie, she mainly wants a picture of Rachel. "Why don't you two pose for the camera in front of it? I mean you two did do all the hard work."

Eager to please, Lily drags Rachel towards the tree and stands in front of it with a wide smile, showing off her missing two front teeth. Rachel comes to rest beside her, sending a soft smile towards Quinn and in that moment, she imagines doing this every year.

She never wants to stop seeing that smile.

Quinn quickly snaps the photo and Lily bounces towards her, tugging her trouser leg repeatedly.

"What's up squirt?"

"Can I have a biscuit?" She asks, looking up hopefully at Quinn.

"What do you say?"

"Please," Lily adds, batting her eyelashes at the older woman whilst administering a rather impressive pout that Quinn can never resist.

That trait has definitely come from her mother.

Quinn ponders for a moment before nodding. "Only one though, your mom will kill me if she knows I've been letting you have biscuits just before dinner."

Lily giggles with delight and heads in the direction of the kitchen.

"She looks just like you."

Quinn rubs the back of her neck. "You should see her mom; they're the spitting image of each other. When we were growing up people thought Frannie, that's my sister, and I were twins because we looked so alike. All the Fabray women seem to look alike; good-looks must run in our family."

"There's your infamous ego again, is it strange to say I've missed that." Rachel laughs loudly as she watches Lily take a biscuit and eat it sneakily even though she's been given permission. "She's unbelievably adorable."

"Yeah, she'll be a heart-breaker when she's older."

"Like you?"

Quinn cocks her head to the side in amusement. "I'm not a heart-breaker. I've never broken anybody's heart."

"You've just had it broken right?"

The blonde purses her lips and crosses her arms protectively over herself.

"Sorry," Rachel adds quietly. "I shouldn't have asked that, it's personal and I shouldn't pry."

"Don't worry about it," Quinn says as she uncrosses her arms. She turns back to Lily who is devouring the biscuit as if she's never going to have another one. "It's tradition for Lily to come here and help me decorate my Christmas tree. She decorates her own tree with her family and then insists on doing the same for me. One thing you'll learn about the Fabray family is we're very big on honouring traditions."

"Really?"

Quinn nods slowly before tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. Rachel's been in her apartment for over two hours and she had forgotten all about Sophie. She's too busy focusing all her attention on Rachel and hoping that she doesn't leave anytime soon.

Feeling the need to remind both her and Rachel that there is a third party that needs to be addressed, she clears her throat. "Is Sophie feeling better?"

"Much better, I'll tell her you've been asking after her."

Quinn chuckles briefly. "I should probably ask her myself rather than receive all my information about her from you."

"Why don't you then?"

"Honestly," Quinn states quietly. "I don't know."

* * *

The two women hover in the doorway as Quinn leans against the door frame. Lily's father had picked her up about an hour ago and much to Quinn's surprise and delight, Rachel had decided to stay for a little bit longer.

It gave them both a chance to talk but rather than address any serious questions, they just divulged small titbits about their life, enabling the other woman to learn more about them.

Quinn had learnt that Rachel's favourite artist was Barbara Streisand and her favourite activity growing up was family dinners with her parents where they would often perform a spontaneous song. She learnt that Rachel has two dads but still talks to her biological mother occasionally after building a relationship with her during high school.

When Rachel talked about her dads, Quinn sensed a twinge of sadness in her voice but decided not to press the situation further. They weren't exactly firm friends yet and she didn't want to upset the woman.

If Rachel wanted her to know, she'd tell her.

Just like Quinn would tell Rachel about the girl who broke her heart eventually.

When the time was right.

Rachel had been told by Lily that Quinn is an incredible baker and her chocolate chip pancakes alongside her blueberry muffins are amazing but she didn't have the luxury of tasting them since they weren't Vegan. But she trusts Lily's opinion.

Rachel had also learnt that during High School, Quinn had been head Cheerleader, or more commonly known as a Cheerio and she had also been in Glee club. Rachel made sure to tell Quinn that she had also been in her school's Glee club and they should sing a duet sometime.

"Mistletoe," Rachel questions as she stares upwards. "That's a neat trick. Putting it here means everybody has to stand underneath it at some point so you're guaranteed a few kisses. Sneaky move Quinn."

"Brittany put it there," Quinn whispers quickly. "She said it's unlucky to not kiss underneath it."

"Shame I'm Jewish then," Rachel jests. "Mistletoe is a Christmas tradition."

"I guess it won't make a difference to you then."

Rachel nods with a slight laugh before leaning forward. Quinn's breath hitches at the closeness and her eyes involuntarily close but disappointment soon flows through her as she feels Rachel's lips graze her cheek gently.

Only a whisper of a touch but enough to set all her senses alight.

"Merry Christmas Quinn, I wouldn't want you to be unlucky."

The words are whispered against her ear and instinctively Quinn rests her hands against the brunette's waist, maybe to keep her knees from buckling. Rachel pulls back ever so slightly and hazel eyes meet chocolate ones and Quinn desperately wants to close the gap and bring their lips together. Her right hand comes up and brushes a strand of hair out of brown eyes before cupping Rachel's cheek, rubbing soft circles with her thumb.

Her breathing is slowly becoming more and more ragged and she knows that all it would take is one slight movement forward and they'd be kissing.

One step forward, that's all.

Such a small step but the ramifications would be anything but small.

Clearing her throat, she drops her hand and takes a step back. "I'll walk you down."

"You don't need to."

"I want to," Quinn replies, grabbing her keys from the bowl beside her front door and ushering Rachel outside, shutting the door behind them. "Do you think we should talk about that?"

Rachel buttons up her coat. "Talk about what?"

Quinn stares at the brunette out of the corner of her eye and shakes her head with a sigh. Rachel must have felt what she just did, she must have known that Quinn was about to kiss her and Quinn might be wrong but she sensed that Rachel would have let her.

Rachel wouldn't have pushed her away, surely that means that Rachel wanted the kiss as much as she did?

Still, if she wants to act as if nothing happened, so will Quinn. "Nothing, forget I said anything."

As they step outside Quinn's building, both women smile as the snow falls around them. It must have been snowing for quite some time because the ground already has a thin coating of snow covering it.

Not enough to do anything with but just enough to leave your footprints.

It's a picturesque scene that fills Quinn with the Christmas spirit.

She's always loved the snow, ever since she was a child and she made snow angels in her back yard whilst Frannie threw snowballs at her.

Rachel shivers at the sudden blast of cold wind and tightens her coat around her, glancing sideways at Quinn who is staring in awe at the sky, watching the snow fall delicately in delight.

"You know, you're really good with Lily," Rachel compliments as they both walk towards her car.

"So are you, she doesn't usually take too well to strangers but before she left, she'd rather play hide and seek with you than me," Quinn comments with a laugh.

"What can I say? It's a gift."

As they reach the brunette's car, Quinn opens the driver's door for her friend automatically, thinking about the implication of the action after she's done it. "Sorry."

"You don't need to apologise for being polite," Rachel tells her with a smile. "It's nice to be treated like that."

"Well I try," Quinn says playfully.

"You know, it's the little things like this that make me wonder why you're single," Rachel says softly. "You're chivalrous, sweet and beautiful; you could probably have anybody you wanted."

Quinn feels herself blush at the compliment, focusing specifically on how Rachel had called her beautiful. She's never really been called that before. She's had sexy, hot, attractive, good enough to eat by a creepy guy who tried to hit on her a couple of months ago but never beautiful.

The sincerity in her voice makes Quinn blush even more.

"Somehow I don't think I could have anybody I wanted."

"Why not?"

"Because there's always somebody you want that doesn't want you back," Quinn replies under her breath, unsure as to whether Rachel hears her. "Besides, I'm single by choice."

"Are you going to take Brittany up on her offer?"

Her eyebrows furrow as she looks at the brunette. "What offer?"

"Dating the woman she works with."

"You mean Karen?"

Rachel nods meekly.

Quinn laughs at the reaction and shrugs her shoulder. "Who knows what the future holds."

It shouldn't bother her; Quinn is young, free and single. She's allowed to date somebody and Rachel has no say in the matter.

She shouldn't even be prying because it's none of her business what Quinn does.

She has her own girlfriend so why does the idea of Quinn dating Karen bother her?

Quinn cocks her head to the side as she watches Rachel's face drop.

"I highly doubt it though," she whispers, in an attempt to appease the other woman. "Like I told you, I'm not interested in relationships, too much hard work."

"When you find the one you want to be with though, relationships can be amazing," Rachel says, fiddling with her car keys. "When you have that person you can just stay at home with and lounge about in your pyjamas and eat junk food whilst watching rubbish movies but neither of you cares because you're just enjoying being together. When you can't wait to see their face in the morning and sometimes just before you go to sleep, you look at them one last time because you can't get enough of them. When just the thought of them causes you to smile and whilst you have them, you can't imagine not being with them. When you have the person you can share all the little things with, it's not hard work. It's easy."

"Do you have that with Sophie?"

Rachel gives the blonde a small smile and nods her head slowly but doesn't give a verbal answer. The thought of Sophie does make her smile and a couple of weeks ago, she couldn't have imagined not being with her but she feels like something is missing.

Hovering beside her car door, she continues to fiddle with her keys. Quinn tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. If it was anybody else hovering before her, fiddling with their keys rather than leaving, Quinn would kiss them.

She'd think they'd want her to.

She refrains from doing that though.

"Can I hug you?"

"I don't think I've ever met anybody who asked before hugging somebody."

"It could be construed as an invasion of personal space and some people may not be comfortable with hugs, I mean we don't really know each other so I didn't want to assume it was alright to hug you."

Quinn chuckles before wrapping her arms around the petite brunette's waist and engulfing her in a hug. The unmistakable scent of vanilla and strawberries fills her nostrils yet again and Quinn may just have found a new favourite smell.

The hug is over much too quickly for Quinn's liking but when she feels Rachel pulling away; she reluctantly releases her hold on the brunette, desperate for more contact with her.

"I'll see you soon Quinn."

"Yeah, see you soon."

When Rachel beams at her, she has to refrain from kissing her once more.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: Final chapter that will be up before Christmas up a day earlier than I planned. There should be two more before the New Year as well. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope you all have a fantastic and safe holiday :)

* * *

"_If you love two people at the same time, choose the second. Because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn't have fallen for the second" – Johnny Depp_

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

Her next-door neighbours in Ohio were an elderly couple who had been together for fifty-five years. On rare occasions when her dads were working late or they had a prior arrangement, Mrs Connolly would baby-sit her and she would listen in fascination as the older woman detailed her relationship with her husband.

A modern day fairy-tale, or at least in Rachel's ten year old eyes it was.

Mrs Connolly would tell her about the moment their eyes first met during a high school dance and how straight away she knew he was the person she would marry. They married only two weeks after meeting even though all their family and friends told them it was the wrong move, they didn't know each other well enough and it would only end in separation.

Rachel had asked her once why neither of them listened to their family and friends, why they decided to elope against everybody's wishes and the answer she received was simple.

Nobody else knew how they felt, nobody else knew that when she looked at her future husband, she saw them sitting together in rocking-chairs when they were older still holding each other's hands and still laughing at his inappropriate jokes.

Nobody else needed to know these things because she did and that was all that mattered.

Rachel can remember returning home from high school one day and her daddy telling her the devastating news that Mrs Connolly had passed away.

She had cried that night for longer than she ever expected. They didn't really have a close relationship, Mrs Connolly was just her babysitter every now and again and a neighbour that she would say hello to and ask if she was okay but never linger to chat yet she wept at the loss.

She chose to seek comfort in the knowledge that only a month before Mrs Connolly had passed away, she had walked past their house to see Mr and Mrs Connolly sitting together in rocking-chairs on their deck, holding hands and laughing together.

Mr and Mrs Connolly had ignored everybody and married even though they didn't know each other because they knew it was right, they knew that there was nobody else for them.

And they were right.

To this day Mr Connolly has never remarried.

That's the relationship Rachel's always aspired to have, meeting somebody across a crowded room yet knowing immediately that they were your soul mate, they were your heart's counterpart. She honestly thought she had found that with Sophie but meeting Quinn has caused her to doubt everything.

Her morality.

Her feelings for Sophie.

Everything.

She knows she's in love with Sophie, she always has known that but now she's starting to think it may be possible to be in love with two people because human beings are capable of loving more than one thing at a time, the only thing that differs is the level of adoration.

No matter how much she loves Sophie, that doesn't stop feelings about Quinn from forming, feelings she isn't too sure of yet.

She's not sure whether they're feelings of just a sexual nature, feelings of excitement because everything with Quinn is new and thrilling or feelings that stretch deeper.

Something which she isn't brave enough to face just yet.

Because what if they are?

What if her feelings for Quinn venture towards romantic feelings?

What does she do then?

The other day when she had been standing underneath the mistletoe with Quinn; she finally understood the tradition of it. She thought Quinn had been about to kiss her before the moment was snatched away from them and Rachel feels disappointed with herself at the knowledge that she had wanted Quinn to kiss her.

That when Quinn stepped back, a wave of disappointment flooded through her and she wanted to tell Quinn she didn't have to step back, she could kiss her.

Rachel wouldn't stop her.

She would have cheated on Sophie, somebody who has done nothing wrong, if Quinn hadn't stopped.

Although cheated again would be more accurate.

She diverts her attention away from the ceiling fan and rolls over onto her side so she's looking at Sophie. Beside her, her girlfriend is perusing the newspaper, her reading glasses on as she reads silently, occasionally mouthing the words as she reads them.

If anybody looked at them now, they would think that they had been together for years the way they act.

Not just shy of their one-year anniversary.

Their relationship is slowly growing into one that represents more of a married couple rather than a couple who should still be in the honeymoon phase, unable to keep their hands off one another.

Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with acting like a married couple because part of Rachel loves the security that offers.

But the other part of her, perhaps the more influential part, hates the normality of it.

Her mind helplessly wanders to Quinn and she wonders quietly what it would be like to wake up next to her. She can't imagine Quinn reading the newspaper in bed; instead she imagines Quinn would wake up the same way she went to bed.

Ready for anything.

Rachel's stomach flips at the excitement that could offer, the spontaneity that Quinn could offer rather than the routine she has with Sophie.

For the first six months of their relationship, Sophie woke her up with breakfast in bed and morning kisses which would always lead somewhere else and Rachel had loved that. Yet over time, those romantic gestures have dwindled and she can't help but think it's a little bit too soon in their relationship for that to happen.

Growing up she witnessed Mr Connolly buy a bunch of Azaleas for his wife every week for no other purpose than to show how much he loved her and how even after all those years, he still remembered what her favourite flowers were.

Fifty-five years together and their romantic gestures never ceased.

So why have hers and Sophie's?

The doubt surrounding her relationship terrifies her because Sophie is a wonderful person and she knows how lucky she is to have somebody who would do anything for her but maybe that's not enough anymore.

Or perhaps the more worrying prospect, maybe it's too much.

"What do you want to do today?" Rachel asks, desperate to escape her own thoughts.

They are becoming rather over-bearing now.

Sophie peers over the newspaper and looks down at her girlfriend with a lazy smile. "I don't mind. There's only one more day until Christmas Eve and the start of Hanukkah, have you sorted all your gifts?"

Rachel nods. "I've had them all sorted for weeks, you should know that," she jests lightly. "The day I am unorganised for anything is not going to happen for a very long period of time."

Sophie chuckles quietly. "Of course, my mistake."

"Have you?"

"Almost, I just need to buy one more present and then I'm finished."

Sophie answers her with a certain amount of playfulness lacing her voice and that coupled with the sudden glint in her eyes tells Rachel that she should be interested in that present.

No matter how old she gets, she still feels a warm buzz of excitement and happiness at the thought of receiving presents, she doesn't think that will ever change.

"Is it for me?"

Sophie slides down the headboard so she's lying face to face with her girlfriend and brushes her nose against Rachel's. "It might be."

Rachel claps her hands in delight. "What is it?"

"Now why would I tell you that and ruin the surprise?" Sophie questions playfully before capturing her girlfriend's lips with her own. The brunette pouts at her and Sophie laughs at the adorableness of it before kissing her once again. "That pout is not going to work on me. I'm not telling you what I'm buying."

Regardless of that information, Rachel attempts a pout once more, adding doe-eyes into the mix. Sophie chuckles and kisses the tip of her nose. "You are unbelievably adorable, did you know that?"

The whisper is filled with adoration and affection and it does make Rachel's heart soar.

She spent years in high school thinking she'd never find somebody who loved her unequivocally and even when she dated Finn, she didn't think she'd found it but now, perhaps she has.

They stare at each other for several minutes, sharing the odd kiss now and again and it's this closeness, this easiness that she loves.

Yet she finds herself craving more.

"Did you know they're playing It's a Wonderful Life in Central Park tonight?"

Sophie bobs her head and runs her hand up and down Rachel's arm. "Yeah I know. Quinn always goes to watch it every year without doubt. So it's safe to say she'll be going and she'll probably drag Santana and Brittany with her."

"Why don't we go?"

The auburn-haired woman frowns ever so slightly. "You want to go and sit outside in the freezing cold and potential snow to watch a movie you've never shown any interest in before?"

If she's being honest, no she doesn't want to do that.

Sophie's right, she has never been interested in It's a Wonderful Life; it doesn't fit the criteria of movies she likes, which are essentially musicals and she downright dislikes the cold. The only good thing about the cold weather is the implications it creates, snuggling in front of a roaring fire and the cosy clothes.

She does, however, want to spend some time with Quinn.

Maybe if she addresses these feelings she's having with Quinn, she'll be able to understand them.

Maybe Quinn will tell her point-blank that she's not interested and Rachel can forget about her, albeit she'd feel slightly embarrassed.

"It will get us both in the holiday spirit."

"I'm already in the holiday spirit, have you not seen my apartment?"

Rachel can't help but laugh loudly at that because yes, she has seen Sophie's apartment. It's rather hard to miss. It is covered in a mixture of both Christmas and Hanukkah decorations, Chrismukah as they call it. Her hears swells with adoration that Sophie caters to her own holiday rather than just her own.

You could put Ebenezer Scrooge inside Sophie's apartment and he would feel festive, it's impossible not to.

"Okay, how about it will be romantic?" Sophie quirks her eyebrow, silently signalling for Rachel to continue. "We can get a blanket and cuddle," Rachel flirts quietly. "And bring hot chocolate and you know I love winter –"

Sophie frowns. "You hate winter."

"Well I dislike the coldness that winter brings, the ice, snow and freezing temperatures but everything else about it I love and that includes the festive season and everything to do with that," Rachel explains.

Sophie contemplates for several seconds before beaming widely. "You know I can never say to no to you."

Rachel grins and can't help herself from capturing her girlfriend's lip. When she goes to pull away, Sophie wraps an arm around her waist and tugs her back towards her, refusing to break the kiss. Rachel laughs into the kiss and returns it with equal fervour but when Sophie's hand trails the waistband of her pyjama bottoms, she stiffens.

She feels guilty for thinking about Quinn when she's in bed with her girlfriend and she still hates herself for sleeping with Quinn so she can't do this with Sophie right now.

She can't have sexual intercourse with her girlfriend.

"I need to nip in the shower."

"I could always shower with you," Sophie flirts, placing open-mouthed kisses on her girlfriend's neck. "Two birds one stone and all that."

Her eyes involuntarily close at the sensation and she momentarily loses herself at the feel of Sophie's lips on her. The last time they had engaged in sexual intercourse had been a couple of weeks ago. Since then Rachel has found excuses to deter her girlfriend but she knows that eventually Sophie will grow suspicious.

She slams her eyes shut and mentally berates herself. She feels like something is missing in their relationship and complains that they're no longer in the honeymoon phase yet maybe that's her fault.

She keeps pushing Sophie away every time she tries to initiates anything. Surely Sophie can only be rejected so many times before eventually giving up.

It's her fault that her relationship isn't the same as it was a couple of months, Sophie has done nothing but been the perfect girlfriend and Rachel swats her away each time like an annoying pest.

She's the only one causing problems in their relationship, perhaps if she stopped pushing Sophie away, their relationship would go back to the way it was and she would stop thinking about Quinn.

"That sounds like a great idea," Rachel replies before Sophie kisses her again.

She's dating Sophie not Quinn.

She needs to start acting like the girlfriend Sophie deserves.

* * *

The park is busier than it has been for the last two years and Quinn gathers that is due to the fact that it isn't as cold tonight as it was in previous years. The sky is surprisingly clear and light and she's no weather forecaster but she's expecting more snow. Thankfully the snow from the other day had melted away leaving no trace. Central park is filled with couples and the odd family but everywhere she looks all she sees are couples holding hands, snuggling into one another or sharing light kisses before the movie starts.

She had come with Santana and Brittany but they had disappeared practically as soon as they had arrived. Brittany had told her they'd forgotten something in the car but Quinn's been their friend for long enough to know when they're creating false excuses.

She knows they're undoubtedly having sex in their car.

The passion they still have after three years is something Quinn hopes to have when she finally settles down.

Finding a quiet spot, away from nearby couples, she throws a blanket onto the ground and sits down. She's not in the mood to watch loved-up couples fawn over one another for the next couple of hours.

"Mind if we join you Q?"

Clearly somebody else has other ideas.

She glances up at the voice but her eyes quickly fall instead to the couple's linked hands and a wave of jealousy surges through her.

They're a couple; they're allowed to hold hands.

She has no right to be jealous.

She removes her gaze from their hands and back to their faces before shaking her head. "Not at all, take a seat."

Sophie places another blanket on the ground beside Quinn's and her and Rachel sit on it, Rachel ensuring she sits beside Quinn. The auburn-haired woman produces a second blanket and throws it haphazardly over all three of them. It lands half over Quinn and she shuffles closer to the brunette in order to ensure she's completely covered.

"Did you not come with Santana and Brittany?"

"They said they'd forgotten something in the car but that was about ten minutes ago. I'm not expecting them back any time soon."

"Do you want a hot chocolate?" Rachel asks softly. "Or we have eggnog, both Vegan substitutes though so I can enjoy them too."

"Surprise me."

Rachel's lips curl upwards slightly and she pours Quinn some eggnog into a flask before pouring herself and Sophie a hot chocolate. "Just a little note, I've never made eggnog before so it could be horrible. There's some hot chocolate left if you don't like it."

Quinn takes the offered flask and takes a sip of the festive drink, grimacing as she tastes it for the first time. She tries to mask her dislike at the drink and gives Rachel a tight-lipped smile. "It's lovely."

"Liar," Rachel whispers but her eyes sparkle due to the fact that Quinn chose to lie rather than hurt her feelings.

"You should try the hot chocolate," Sophie says as she takes a long sip of her own drink. "Rachel makes an amazing hot chocolate."

Rachel sniffs the eggnog before reluctantly having a sip and her nose crinkles in disgust. "It won't take much to be better than the eggnog." She grasps the flask out of Quinn's hand. "You cannot drink that, it's disgusting."

Quinn chuckles and takes the flask back. "Yes I can, it has alcohol in it so automatically I'm sold."

That sparkle in her eyes shines brighter.

Sophie's hand wraps around her girlfriend's waist and Rachel subconsciously snuggles into her side, dropping her left arm to the ground in the movement, allowing it to come to rest beside Quinn's right arm, their arms brushing together gently.

* * *

"I'm going to go the toilet," Sophie states whilst standing. "Be back in a minute babe," she says, bending down so she can peck her girlfriend's cheek before disappearing.

"I bet that's just an excuse," Quinn jests lightly. "She's never liked this film; she thinks it's boring and rather depressing. I'm surprised you managed to get her to come. She came with me a couple of years ago and made it pretty clear she wouldn't be making that mistake again."

"What can I say? I'm very persuasive," Rachel states proudly. "Although I have to admit, this film isn't exactly jumping to the number one spot of my favourite movies."

"Wait till the end," Quinn promises before tugging the blanket upwards slightly. "What made you decide to come?"

"I wanted to see the movie."

It's a lie and Quinn senses that isn't the whole reason but she lets the subject drop. The closeness of Rachel's hand against her own sets Quinn's senses alight. She extends her pinkie so it brushes against Rachel's in the lightest of touches but enough to make them both want more.

Rachel keeps her gaze on the movie before her, trying to keep her breathing under control as Quinn reaches across and rests her hand on top of Rachel's.

It's a risky move because she doesn't know how Rachel will react but she suddenly felt the urge to hold Rachel's hand so she decided it was worth the risk.

You'll never know if you don't try.

Her eyes never leave the screen and after an internal struggle, Rachel turns her palm upwards and threads her fingers with Quinn's. She can see Quinn's eyes widen out of the corner of the eye but her eyes still refuse to leave the screen.

She wants to say this is wrong, they shouldn't be doing this but no words leave her mouth.

So much for being the girlfriend Sophie deserved.

"I bought you something by the way," Quinn states as she reaches into her bag with her free hand and pulls out a wooden dradle before handing it to Rachel.

"A dradle?"

"I know it's rubbish and very stereotypical for a Hanukkah gift but you helped decorate my Christmas tree so I wanted to get you something for your own festive season and I saw this and thought you might like it, even though it's not much of a present," Quinn explains nervously. "I know I should have waited until tomorrow to give it to you sine that's when Hanukkah starts but I wasn't sure whether I would see you."

"How did you know I would be coming tonight?"

Quinn shrugs her shoulders. "I didn't, I thought there was a possibility since I did invite you but I bought it today so that's why I have it with me."

"I love it Quinn."

"Really?" Quinn laughs through shock. "I wouldn't be offended if you said you didn't, I know it's not much."

Rachel places a light kiss on the blonde's cheek before she can think about it. "I love it, thank you."

"I know Hanukkah is eight days long which usually means eight presents but –"

"Quinn I'm not expecting you to get me anything else," Rachel interrupts. "I wasn't even expecting you to get me this. I haven't bought you anything."

"You don't need to."

"Now you've given me a gift, I am compelled to. It's only polite but I don't want you to buy me any more presents, this is more than enough."

"I feel like I should warn you not to get too excited," Quinn teases. "You're next present is going to be a menorah."

Rachel laughs loudly. "You're really hammering home the traditional Hanukkah items. Should I get you a Santa Stop Here sign that you can put on your door? Or maybe a stocking that you can hang from the bottom of your bed."

"If you could that would be great." Quinn beams at the brunette who in turn laughs.

"What are you plans for the holidays?"

"I'm driving to my parent's house on Christmas morning and spending a couple of days with them," Quinn replies. "Maybe less depending on how much they annoy me and how many arguments occur throughout Christmas Day. What about you?"

"I'm flying out to Ohio tomorrow to spend Hanukah with my dad," Rachel explains.

"Don't you mean dads?" Quinn says. A casual question to show Rachel that she has listened to everything the brunette has told her. Rachel stills beside her and Quinn immediately regrets speaking. "I'm sorry, have I said something wrong? You can ignore the question if I've spoken out of turn."

Rachel inhales sharply and pinches the bridge of her nose to prevent the tears from falling. "My daddy passed away."

Quinn slams her eyes shut and hates herself for asking the question, the last thing she wanted was to upset the brunette.

She gives Rachel's hand a comforting squeeze. "You didn't need to tell me that."

"You would have found out sometime," Rachel whispers with a sniff.

She leans forward with the intent to kiss the brunette's cheek only for Rachel to turn and Quinn's lips land on the corner of her mouth. Instead of panicking and flying back as if she'd been burnt, she allows them to linger there before pulling away. "I'm sorry."

Rachel shrugs her shoulders and Quinn wipes away a fallen tear with the pad of her thumb. "Can you ask me another question?"

"Of course," Quinn tells her, brushing some hair behind her ear. "How long are you staying in Ohio for?"

"Till New Year's Day I think. The whole of Hanukkah."

Quinn bobs her head with a sad smile. "Sophie will miss you."

She'll miss her.

Rachel ducks her head, wondering if Quinn would miss her too. "She's actually flying out on the 28th for the remaining days."

"Of course she is," Quinn replies quietly. "Sophie's that kind of person."

"Bloody hell the queue for the toilet was insane," Sophie says as she takes her seat beside Rachel once more. "What are you two talking about?"

It's Rachel who speaks first.

"Plans for the holidays."

Sophie bobs her head before announcing her own plans for the holidays, oblivious to the fact that underneath the blanket, Rachel's and Quinn's fingers are still entwined, neither woman planning to release their hold anytime soon.

* * *

She rests back on the hood of her car and surveys everybody who is watching the movie, her eyes eventually finding the very person she was looking for. Quinn has been joined by Sophie and her girlfriend and the three of them are sitting close together, sharing a blanket and they all seem to be engrossed in the movie.

Nothing out of the ordinary is happening and she has no reason to suspect that something is awry yet her Mexican third-eye is humming with suspicion.

"I don't understand why this is a Christmas movie," Brittany announces from beside her. "It's really sad; I mean he hates his life."

Santana smiles before answering. "It's uplifting in a way because it shows you that no matter who you are, you have made an impact on somebody's life."

Brittany shrugs. "I suppose."

"Hey babe," Santana says lightly. "Do you think something is up with Quinn and the hobbit?"

Her fiancée frowns. "Has Quinn moved to the Shire?"

"No." Santana laughs. "I just think it's an appropriate name for Sophie's girlfriend because she's tiny."

Brittany nods in understanding; she learnt years ago to stop questioning Santana's nicknames. "Why do you ask?"

"I just get the feeling that something is amiss; I think our Quinnie might have a little crush on Berry."

"She does," Brittany states matter-of-factly.

"How do you know that?"

Brittany beams. "Because I know everything."

Santana laughs and pecks her fiancee's lips. "I love you."

"I love you too San."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: I hope you all had a fantastic holiday :) This is up a day earlier than planned once again I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

Every time she returns to her childhood home she expects something to have changed but nothing is ever any different. Her framed certificate for winning the fifth grade spelling bee still hangs on the wall next to the stairs so everybody can see it when they walk upstairs. Her framed diploma from NYU still rests side by side Frannie's diploma from Brown University on the wall outside their parent's bedroom so they can receive a sense of pride whenever they see it.

The washing machine in their laundry room which has been steadily breaking since Quinn moved out is still there, her mom refusing to buy another one until the one she has actually stops working.

Even though it always leaks and leaves a puddle of water on the ground whenever she does the laundry, Judy maintains it washes their clothes and that's all it needs to do.

The water can be easily mopped up.

That way of thinking has always been her mother's mentality. She prefers to disguise the problem rather than find a permanent solution.

One thing has changed in her childhood home however; their fridge no longer contained her and Frannie's school reports, it now contained pictures drawn by Lily for her grandparents alongside fridge magnets that Frannie had arranged earlier into sexual words before Judy scolded her and she dismantled the words, forming words such as hi and love in their place.

She throws her bag on top of her unmade bed before taking a seat on her desk chair and glancing around her old bedroom.

The room she grew up in.

In a swift minute, all her old memories come flooding back and they hit her hard enough that if she closes her eyes, she can visualise every memory as if she was actually there re-living it. She can remember the slumber parties she, Santana and Sophie used to have on Friday's night where they would share two large pizzas and regret it later. Her carpet still contains a stain from when Santana had dropped a slice of pizza and of course it landed on the toppings side. They'd been too giddy with alcohol to care but the next morning when Quinn saw the stain, she had groaned in annoyance.

A quick glance at her double bed causes her to remember the secret rendezvous she had shared with Alison, her first proper girlfriend, whilst her parents thought she was studying. Sure she'd dated several girls throughout high school but Alison was the first girl she had actually labelled as her girlfriend. One look at her pillows and she can remember every single time she had cried into it over Alison.

She and her parents had practically stripped her room bare of personal belongings when she moved out yet the memories are still fresh and will never be erased.

Granted, most of her memories from this room are good but the bad ones overshadow them.

"Quinn, dinner's nearly ready."

At the sound of her mother's voice she shrugs off the memories before leaving her bedroom and heading back downstairs to their amazingly decorated living room.

Her parents certainly did push the boat out every year for Christmas, even more so now they have a granddaughter and Quinn had been surprised at the level of decorations this year, she hadn't thought it was possible for them to become more festive.

Evidently she had been wrong.

Their dining table was already laid in preparation for the upcoming meal and four bottles of wine lay on one kitchen counter. That's no surprise, if she can say one thing about her mother; it's that she enjoys a drink, especially around the holidays. Considering her father's favourite tipple is Scotch and Frannie doesn't drink, the four bottles will be shared between Quinn, her mother and Michael, Frannie's husband.

Somehow she doesn't think the balance will be split equally.

She sends a small wave in Frannie and Michael's direction before ruffling Lily's hair. The smaller blonde raises her head away from the doll she has in her hands and grins widely at her aunt. "Merry Christmas Auntie Quinn."

"Merry Christmas squirt."

"Do you want to see what Santa brought me?"

Quinn bobs her head as Lily rushes towards the tree and grabs several of her unwrapped presents. Quinn stands still as Lily deposits presents in front of her before grabbing more.

"Wow, Santa's been generous this year."

Lily beams at her aunt's approval. "Did Santa bring you a girlfriend?"

She turns around to look at her mother but Judy is too busy serving to hear this conversation. "Not this year Lil, maybe next year," Quinn tells her and it seems to settle Lily's curiosity because she runs over to her dad, displaying her presents to him once more.

She politely pecks her mother and father on the cheek, receiving a grunt in response from her dad and a gentle 'hello darling' from her mother before picking up one bottle of white wine and returning to the dining table to pour three glasses.

She's just finishing pouring the final glass of wine when her mother shouts from the kitchen.

"Dinner's ready."

* * *

"I found him," Lily exclaims as she points to Waldo in the book. "You're not very good at this game Auntie Quinn."

Quinn laughs at her niece before looking to where Lily is pointing. "You're just too quick for me."

"Want to play again?"

"Why don't you go play with your mom for a bit so I can talk to Quinn," Judy suggests as she appears behind them, a glass of wine in her hand.

Lily bobs her head and closes the book. "Can we play again tomorrow Auntie Quinn?"

"Sure thing squirt, I need to even out the scores."

The small blonde beams before holding the book against her and running towards her mother and father who were engaging in polite conversation with Russell.

Her mom hands her the glass of wine in her hand before taking a seat at the dining table beside Quinn. "What did you think of dinner?"

Quinn puts the glass of wine back on the table. "It was great; you've always been an amazing cook."

Judy revels in the praise momentarily before tucking an out of place hair back into her bun. "You know the other day I was in line at the bank and I bumped into Janine."

"Janine?"

"Janine Abrams, you know, Artie's mom," Judy explains in more detail and Quinn nods in understanding. "She was telling me that Artie is directing a Broadway production of Les Miserables."

Quinn's head snaps up at the word Broadway. "He is?"

Her mom nods. "Apparently they're bringing it back to the stage and he's holding auditions from now until after the New Year. Supposedly he wants fresh new talent to give the play a revival."

Her and Artie had been at the same high school together and had sung together in Glee club but that club was the only foundation of their friendship. When that disappeared so did their friendship. They were never firm friends anyway and hadn't spoken to each other since leaving high school. Last thing she'd heard, he'd graduated from UCLA after studying film but that was a couple of years ago.

She plays what her mom has just told her over and over again in her mind. He's directing a Broadway play, something which Rachel has always dreamed of being in but missed out for some reason on her last opportunity.

Maybe she could fall back on their time together in Glee club to convince him to give Rachel an audition.

Judy waves her hand in the air. "I almost forgot the point of my story. Once she'd finished singing his praises, she told me he recently got married to a girl he met at university."

"That's great."

"And Santana's engaged plus Sophie's dating somebody."

"Where are you going with this?"

Judy sighs lightly. "Is it too much for me to want my youngest daughter to have a stable relationship rather than an unhealthy addiction to sleeping with random women you're never going to see again?"

"It's not an addiction."

"Okay, it's not an addiction," Judy concedes before frowning. "Although I do have a bone to pick with you about your other addiction," she tells her daughter sternly. "I thought I told you not to smoke."

"I don't," Quinn lies quickly because even though she's 24, she still hates disappointing her mom.

"I could smell it on you when you came in."

"I'll try to stop."

Judy gives her a soft smile. "Well now we've sorted that, what about this relationship?"

Quinn pinches the bridge of her nose lightly before exhaling. "There is somebody I like."

Judy claps her hands like an excited seal and Quinn quickly scans the room to see whether her overdramatic response to Quinn's confession has peaked anybody's interests. Fortunately Frannie, Michael and Lily are still engaged in Where's Waldo and her father must have gone to his study.

"Well, I think I like her anyway."

"Who is it?"

"That doesn't matter," Quinn says. "You don't know her."

Judy seems to let the matter of a name drop but the wide smile on her face tells her the conversation is far from over. "What do you mean you think you like her? You either do or you don't."

"We slept together," Quinn starts.

Surprisingly she and her mother have always been able to talk about sex and relationships without either one feeling awkward. Her mom had actually given her useful advice in the past so maybe this time she'll continue that trend.

"But she's with somebody else." The gasp her mom emits is expected but the clip around the back of her ear is not expected. "Mom, what the hell?"

"What have I told you about chasing unavailable girls?" Judy states lowly. "You shouldn't interfere with other people's relationships, I've told you time and time again to turn your attention to single women."

"I can't help it," Quinn defends weakly, rubbing the back of her ear, her face scrunched up. "Besides, I didn't know she was in a relationship when I slept with her."

That seems to calm her mother down slightly. "But now you do, it doesn't deter you does it?"

"Actually for once, yes it does," Quinn states loudly. "I don't want her girlfriend to get hurt but I'm finding it harder and harder to stay away from her."

"Have you done anything with her since finding out she's in a relationship?" Quinn shakes her head meekly. "Do you want to?"

"Yes."

Her mom sighs heavily. "This is why I told you to avoid unavailable women; somebody will always get hurt."

"What should I do?"

"You're my daughter and I want you to be happy," Judy states. "If being with this girl is going to make you happy then you have to decide whether you can pass up the chance to be with her."

"Are you advocating cheating?"

Her mom shakes her head vehemently. "Of course not but when you said you liked somebody, your eyes held a sparkle that I haven't seen since Alison and I want you to find somebody Quinn, more than anything I want you to have somebody in your life." Judy cups her daughter's cheek. "Why don't you tell this girl how you feel and maybe she'll leave her girlfriend for you?"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

Quinn remains silent. She can't possibly tell her mom that the girl in question is Rachel, Sophie's girlfriend. Sophie is like a third daughter to Judy after spending most of her childhood and adolescence in the Fabray house, Judy now thinks of her as one of her own. Her mom despises cheating but if she knew that it was Sophie's heart on the line, she'd despise it even more and Quinn couldn't take it if she disappointed her mom that much.

"I know you Quinnie," her mom continues, obviously understanding that her daughter isn't going to answer her earlier question. "I know you would be with Alison when you said you were studying."

Quinn's eyes widen at that statement.

Judy bobs her head. "I know you thought I didn't know but I did. I'm not an idiot Quinn, give me some credit."

"Sorry."

Judy shrugs the apology off. "My point is, I know you and I know full well that no matter what I tell you or how much I berate you for sleeping with attached women, you won't listen and you'll continue living your life the way you do but I want you to be careful," she tells her. "This is the first person you've liked since Alison and I know you're going to pursue her even though you shouldn't, it's who you are. I just –" Her mom pauses momentarily. "I don't want you to get hurt again."

"It might not be me who gets hurt," Quinn mumbles underneath her breath, too quiet for her mother to hear her. The next time she speaks she's louder. "Thanks mom."

"I haven't done anything," Judy says with a chuckle. "Everything I've said you're going to ignore." Her mom kisses her on the forehead before standing from the dining table and calling over to Frannie that they should start a movie. She directs her attention back to Quinn. "Just be careful Quinn, you don't fall often but when you do, you fall hard."

"I've not fallen for anybody."

Judy smiles shyly at her. "Not yet maybe but there's no mistaking that sparkle Quinn, it's rather enlightening."

* * *

She drums her fingers nervously against the coffee table stealing a glance at her watch every now and again to check the time. Her dad had headed to the shops over an hour ago and since the shop was only down the road, she hadn't expected him to take this long. Worry surfaced in the pit of her stomach about twenty minutes ago and she suspects the newfound worry for her dad's safety is due to the death of her daddy.

Ever since then, she worries about her dad more than ever.

The sound of keys in the door has never been more of a welcome noise and she sits back on the couch, trying to feign nonchalance. Her dad would hate it if he knew how worried she had been.

"Hey honey," Leroy states as he kicks the door shut behind him. "Sorry I'm later than I said I would be but you'll never guess who I bumped into." He places the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter.

She stands from the couch and walks over to her dad, helping him unpack the groceries. Her face lights up as she unpacks the ingredients for her dad's famous Vegan Chocolate Cookies. He used to make them for her every year on her birthday and when she moved to New York, he continued that tradition by shipping a box to her every year.

Her birthday had been just over a week ago but she never received any cookies.

Not that she expected any; she knew her dad had other things on his mind.

Leroy unpacks some more groceries before turning to look at what had stilled his daughter. His eyes fall to the ingredients in her hands. "They're to make up for the lack of cookies on your birthday, I wanted to apologise for that as well. I didn't keep up the tradition."

Rachel walks into her dad's arms for hug. "You don't need to apologise for anything Dad. Besides, now we can make them together."

Tears well up in Leroy's eyes and he tries to blinks them away, he doesn't want Rachel to see him cry. He's supposed to be strong for her, be there for her and he wants her to give her a good Hanukkah.

Not one filled with tears.

She takes a step back from him and pretends she doesn't see the tears in his eyes. "You were going to tell me who you bumped into," Rachel reminds him gently, putting the milk and soy milk into the fridge. "It wasn't Mrs Bircham was it?"

"The crazy cat lady from the next street over," Leroy clarifies. His lips curl up in disgust as he remembers visiting her house once to hand her some mail which had been incorrectly delivered to their house, only to find the woman's house covered in cats, their scent lingering throughout the rooms.

He'd never left somebody's house as quickly.

Now if the mailman ever incorrectly delivers her mail, he leaves it on her doormat.

"No it wasn't her," Leroy replies, uttering a quiet 'thankfully' under his breath. "It was Brittany and her parents. They were shopping with a Hispanic family that I didn't recognise."

"That will be Santana and her family," Rachel explains to her father.

He had always held a soft spot for Brittany. She was one of the few people who never bullied Rachel in High School, and instead chose to compliment on her singing. He'd only met her a couple of times, mainly due to Glee performances but she was always polite and eager to chat, regardless of the topic of conversation.

"Santana," Leroy repeats quietly, throwing the name around in his mind trying to remember why it sounded so familiar. His eyes widen eventually in recognition. "Brittany's fiancée."

Rachel bobs her head. "Yes."

"I remember the Pierces' told me that their daughter had become engaged to somebody she'd met in New York and I've been trying to create a mental image of the woman in my brain. I must say, she's very beautiful. I'm really happy Brittany's found somebody."

"Yeah, they're a really cute couple," Rachel replies, putting the last of the groceries away. "Brittany told me she wanted to hand you your invitation to the wedding personally so she'll come over at some point during the holidays."

Leroy gushes with delight. "I'm invited to the wedding?"

"Of course you are dad," Rachel explains with a laugh. "Brittany adores you."

"I guess I'll have to buy a new suit," he states, more to himself than her. "Speaking of relationships, how are you and Sophie?"

The last time he had asked her that question had been a couple of days after Hiram's death, he wanted some form of good news to counteract the bad and Rachel had always talked about her girlfriend with such adoration and happiness so he knew he could count on her.

She had told him they were doing great and she thought she'd found her soul mate.

Less than a week after that, he met the person who had stolen his daughter's heart. She had flown from New York so she could be there for Rachel during the funeral and afterwards. He only needed to look at Sophie for a second to see that she adored his little girl and that is all he has ever wanted for Rachel.

He wanted her to have somebody who looked at her like she was the be all and end all.

He looked at Hiram like that every day and Hiram looked at him the same way.

It had been three days after the funeral when he first noticed that Rachel didn't look at Sophie the same way the auburn-haired woman looked at her. He had chosen to believe that it was simply due to Rachel's grief over Hiram because it was easier that way.

Two weeks after the funeral and Sophie was still by Rachel's side, putting her job and life in New York on hold so she could be there for her girlfriend. Despite Sophie playing the doting, attentive girlfriend, the way Rachel looked at her never changed like Leroy thought it would.

"We're good."

"Just good?" He questions lightly. "Surely when you're in love, you should be better than good."

Rachel runs her fingers through her hand and releases a heavy sigh. "How did you know daddy was the one?"

"I didn't," her father tells her. "At least not at first. When I met you daddy, I was dating somebody else." Rachel gasps quietly at that confession, she never knew that. "Nothing ever happened whilst I was with my boyfriend at the time but we did become best friends."

"What happened?"

"I realised that your daddy was the one I wanted to be with, it's as simple as that."

"How did you realise that?"

Leroy finally takes off his coat and rests it over the back of a chair. "He was the person who called me just to see if I was okay, the person who showed up when I was least expecting it and the person who could make me smile no matter how upset I was."

"I never knew that."

"You never asked," her dad replies lightly. "Are you sure everything's okay between you and Sophie?"

"Everything's fine Dad," Rachel states adamantly.

"You know I just want you to be happy," Leroy tells her as he wraps an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his body. "No matter whom that is with."

"I'm happy with Sophie Dad."

She's not sure whether she's trying to convince her dad or herself.

He holds his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I won't ask again." He rolls the sleeves of his shirt up before grabbing two aprons from beside the fridge. "How about we make a start on those cookies?"

She grabs the apron out of her dad's hand and throws it on.

She's never been so eager to bake.

* * *

True to his word, her dad stopped asking about Sophie. They had baked the cookies whilst engaging in light conversation, not venturing towards relationships again before watching Funny Girl together. Although the interrogation had stopped for tonight, she knows that tomorrow when Sophie comes to spend the rest of the holidays with her and her father, the questions will soon arise again. Her dad can't help himself, he's always been inquisitive.

She's just about to climb into bed when her cell phone rings. She answers it without even looking at the caller Id, presuming its Sophie to discuss the plans for tomorrow one last time.

"Hey you."

A hoarse chuckle flows through the phone. _"Well hello to you too. To what do I owe that cheery greeting?"_

She swallows nervously at the sound of Quinn's voice rather than her girlfriend's. "I'm always that cheery when I answer the phone," she lies quickly.

"_Even in the morning?"_

"Always means at all times so the use of that word would cover the mornings too."

Another laugh fills her ears. _"You should hear me in the morning; I sound like a deranged zombie who hasn't bitten anybody in a few days."_

She smiles at the response. "That's a very detailed description."

"_It's a very accurate description."_

She lies down on her bed, moving the phone from her right ear to her left. "What have I done to deserve this phone call?" She asks quietly. "Not that I don't want to talk to you or it's not nice to talk to you, it's just, you've never rang me before so I just wondered why you chose tonight to ring me." Rachel puts her free hand against her forehead and slams her eyes shut. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

"_It's okay, I thought it was cute."_

Rachel blushes and curses Quinn's ability to make her blush even when they're miles apart.

"_I just…after what you told me about your dad, I wanted to see how you were." _

Her voice is filled with sincerity and Rachel gushes at the blonde's concern. "I'm as well as I can be, considering the circumstances."

She hears Quinn sneeze into the phone and she gives her a quiet 'bless you'.

"_That's good, I would hate for you to be upset." _

"How are you?"

"_I'm fine thank you," _Quinn replies lightly. _"How has Hanukkah been so far?"_

The friendliness of this conversation is surprising. Rachel never would have thought Quinn would ring her just to talk and ask how she was but the fact that she took the time to check on her is heart-warming.

"It's a bit hard to celebrate since it's just me and my dad this year but we're making the best out of a bad situation."

She hears Quinn yawn before apologising softly. _"Any spontaneous songs around the dinner table?"_

This time Rachel gushes with adoration at the knowledge that Quinn remembered what she had told her when she'd visited Quinn at her apartment. "Not this year."

Silence fills their phone call and Rachel pulls the phone away from her ear to see whether Quinn has hung up on her.

"_Is –"_ Quinn stops mid-sentence and clears her throat before continuing. _"Is Sophie there yet?"_

"She's flying in tomorrow," Rachel tells her. "Why?"

There's another clear of the throat. _"I just didn't want to be interrupting your time with her."_

"Well you're not so it's okay." She brushes some hair behind her ear absent-mindedly. "Are you not interrupting your own family time by making this phone call?"

Quinn laughs loudly into the phone and the noise causes Rachel to smile. _"It would be hard for me to interrupt family time since I'm in my own apartment," _Quinn explains. _"Don't get me wrong, I love my family but there is only so much of them I can take. Besides, my dad's affiliation for sports quickly grows on your nerves."_

Rachel glances at her phone briefly to check the date, just in case they had reached midnight during their conversation. "It's December 27th, only two days after Christmas."

"_I would have come back yesterday if my dad hadn't insisted we spend the day as a family. We played Clue," _Quinn tells Rachel with a playful sigh.

"I love Clue."

"_In that case my parents will love you," _Quinn replies in all seriousness. _"I'm sure playing it with you would have been better than with my family. My mom is the worst player ever; she guesses the murderer, weapon and room within like two goes and then complains when she gets it wrong. She does it every time and never learns." _

"We'll have to have a game some time."

Quinn smiles into the phone at the suggestion even though Rachel can't see her. _"That sounds perfect."_

They fall into a comfortable silence and Rachel finds herself fiddling with the hem of her pyjama top. She feels like she did when she first started dating Finn in high school and never wanted their phone calls to end. No matter how hard she tried, he would always bring the conversation to an end rather abruptly yet here she is, staying on the line with Quinn, neither woman speaking but neither hanging up either.

Deciding they can't stay in silence for the rest of the phone call, Rachel speaks. "What are your plans for New Year?"

She hears Quinn sigh into the phone.

"_I have no plans," _Quinn tells her. _"I was going to head over to Santana and Brittany's and see in the New Year with them but now they're staying in Ohio with their families. My friend from High School, Puck, invited me to California to celebrate the New Year with him in style but celebrating with him means drinking copious amounts of alcohol and turning him down every time he tries to sleep with me. As hard as it was, I said no," _Quinn says playfully. _"My dad's boss is hosting a party so both he and my mom are going there. I'll probably stay in and watch the ball drop on television."_

Rachel immediately feels saddened at the idea of Quinn being sat in alone on New Year's Eve. "You can't stay in alone."

"_It doesn't really bother me. What are you doing?"_

Rachel rubs her forehead. "Brittany's parents are having people over, people from their street, family and friends, that sort of thing. My dad, Sophie and I are going along with Santana's family obviously."

"_Sounds like fun."_

"You know, rather than stay in your apartment alone, you could always come to Ohio," Rachel suggests in a whisper. "I mean, all your friends are going to be here and Brittany's promised there's going to be fireworks."

Quinn laughs the suggestion off. _"So I can celebrate the New Year with couples and have the added delight of meeting everybody's parents, I think I'll pass but thanks for the invite."_

She can't help but feel disappointed that Quinn didn't even consider the offer before declining. She thought the blonde might have at least thought about it and got back to her.

"_I should let you get some sleep," _Quinn says softly. _"I didn't mean to turn this phone call into a long conversation, I just wanted to check that you were alright and you were having a good time."_

"That's really sweet of you."

Quinn scoffs playfully into the phone. _"I have another present for you by the way."_

"Is it my menorah?"

Quinn releases a short burst of laughter before collecting herself. _"No it's not. I can always buy you that as well."_

"Don't you dare," Rachel warns. "I told you not to buy me anything else."

"_People always tell me that and I choose to ignore them, I love watching people's faces when they receive presents."_

Rachel curls some of her hair around her index finger. "I've bought you something too."

"_You shouldn't have done that."_

"People always tell me that and I choose to ignore them," Rachel states, repeating Quinn's earlier response.

She hears Quinn chuckle softly. _"That's sweet of you. I can't wait to see what it is."_

"I can't wait to see what mine is."

A short silence falls over them both once more. "I should probably be going, I need at least eight hours of sleep or I'm useless the next morning."

"_I could get twelve hours of sleep and I'd still be useless the next morning."_

Rachel chuckles lightly. "Good night Quinn."

"_Good night Rachel."_

She's just about to hang up when she hears Quinn speak again. _"Sweet dreams."_

* * *

A/N 2: I don't know anything about Broadway so I apologise if I got something wrong but it works for this story :)


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :) It's a day early but I'll send out my Happy New Year wishes today! I hope you all have a fantastic/safe time celebrating the New Year.

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

She takes a final drag of her cigarette before tossing it to the ground and squashing it with her foot, silently promising herself that that cigarette will be the last she smokes, she did tell her mom she would try to stop after all. She's been hovering outside his apartment for the past twenty minutes waiting for him to make an appearance. She thought he would have been on his way to work by now.

Trust him to have a lie-in the one day she wants to speak to him.

After her mom had told her that Artie was directing a Broadway play, she had paid a visit to Mrs Abrams to ask where her son was living whilst in New York, claiming she didn't want to pass up the chance to re-connect with him whilst he was in the same state as her. After an hour of sitting in the house whilst Mrs Abrams showed her Artie and his wife's wedding photos, she finally received an answer.

She's fully aware that resting against a wall outside Artie's apartment for twenty minutes, her gaze never wavering from the front door is showcasing stalker tendencies but if she manages to get Rachel an audition, it will be worth it.

A better approach would have perhaps been to ask his mother for his cell phone number but there was always the chance he wouldn't get back to her time. If auditions end after the New Year, she doesn't have long to try and get Rachel the shot she so desperately craves.

For all she knows they could end tomorrow.

She pushes herself off the wall when the door to his apartment opens and a satisfied smile fills her face when she sees Artie making his way down the wheelchair ramp beside the front steps. After a quick glance in both directions to ensure no traffic is coming, she runs across the road towards him.

"Artie!"

He stops his wheelchair suddenly at the vaguely familiar voice before glancing over his shoulder to see Quinn standing a few feet behind him. The pink hair she had sported during their final year together in high school had disappeared and all too familiar blonde hair had taken its place. "Quinn, well this is a pleasant surprise. I haven't seen you since high school."

"I know. It's been too long. We should really organise a Glee Club reunion sometime next year, get the old group back together."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, it would be good to see everybody again," Artie replies. "Since high school the only person I've seen is Puckerman and that's only due to the fact that we both moved to California after graduating."

"I still see Santana and Sophie."

Artie chuckles and pushes his glasses further up his nose. "Well of course, you three were the three musketeers; it would be more surprising if you weren't still in touch with them. How are they anyway?"

"They're both doing well; Santana's engaged if you can believe it."

"So she finally found somebody who could put up with her," Artie says with a chuckle. "I'm happy for her." He taps the wheels of his chair in an awkward manner. "I don't mean to be rude but I'm running late for work, can we talk later?"

"It's kind of important."

Artie bobs his head. "Okay, in that case would you want to walk to work with me; we can talk on the way?"

"Of course," Quinn states as she starts walking beside Artie. "I hear congratulations are in order." She points to his wedding ring as she speaks so he understands what her congratulations are for.

"Thank you," Artie replies with a wide smile. "How did you know?"

"How do you think?" Quinn replies playfully. "Your mom told my mom and she told me, I think she hoped it would spur me to get married myself. You know how much mothers like to gossip. What's her name?"

"Her name is Sugar," Artie tells her. "We met in our first year at university and have been together ever since. I think it was close to our year anniversary when she started hinting at engagement rings and those hints never stopped. Subtly is not her thing."

"Yeah, it certainly doesn't sound like it."

"I may be mistaken Quinn, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong," he starts as they stop at the side a road. "But I don't think it's a coincidence we bumped into each other, or rather you bumped into me."

Quinn smiles before crossing the road with him.

Obviously subtly isn't her thing either.

"You're not wrong, I do have an ulterior motive but that's not to say it isn't lovely to see you and I really would love to catch up with you."

"What's the ulterior motive?"

She fiddles with her fingers, suddenly nervous about broaching the subject.

"I was hoping to ask you for a favour."

"Shoot."

"Aside from informing me of your recent nuptials, my mom told me you're directing a revival production of Les Miserables on Broadway."

Artie nods as he checks the time on his watch. "It's a stepping stone in my director career which will hopefully lead to directing films but at the moment, I love doing Broadway, some of the talent I see is just mind-blowing. If you thought our Glee Club singers were amazing, you should hear some of the people who come for auditions. They put us all to shame. Are you interested in auditioning or something?" He questions lightly. "If I remember correctly musical theatre wasn't your thing. Didn't you study English at NYU?"

"Yeah I did."

"Although if your passion has changed, I'm sure I can find you a part. You would have to audition though."

Quinn chuckles softly and shakes her head, talking before Artie can ramble some more. "I don't want to audition; singing is just a pastime for me now, not a career."

"Are you after free tickets then because I've already promised some to Sugar and my parents," he explains. "That's not to say I couldn't try, being the director certainly has some perks."

"Artie," Quinn sighs lightly. "I don't want free tickets."

The chestnut brown haired man smiles shyly at her. "Sorry, I'm attempting to guess when it would be simpler to just ask. What is the favour?"

"You were close with your first guess except it's not for me, I was hoping you could give somebody an audition," Quinn explains nervously. "I have this friend and performing on Broadway is her dream. She's been in a couple of off-Broadway productions and she's an amazing singer."

Okay, so she doesn't know that for definite since she's not had the luxury of hearing her sing but if she's been in off-Broadway productions, she must be better than good.

"A friend?"

"Yeah, I would really appreciate it if you could find the time to give her a chance and I know she'll appreciate it to. I understand if you're too busy to see her though, you must have your hands full with other auditions."

Artie looks like he's contemplating her request and for a moment Quinn thinks it's been a waste of time. Before she knows it they're outside the Shubert theatre, she hadn't even realised they'd walked that far.

"Auditions end on the 3rd January. Tell her to come in at five and I'll allow her to be the final audition, that way she isn't taking time away from anybody else," he tells her, wheeling himself towards the theatre's side door. "But Quinn, I'm not making any promises, she'll suffer the same treatment as everybody else. If she's not good enough, I'm not going to give her preferential treatment because she's your friend."

"I wouldn't expect you to do that," Quinn replies. "As long as you give her a chance it doesn't matter. Thank you Artie, you have no idea how much I appreciate this."

"She must be a good friend for you to go through all this trouble."

Quinn gives him a small smile. "It's no trouble."

* * *

Opening her eyes, she glances out of the window to see the scenery starting to come into view for the first time in under three hours. The pilot's voice comes on over the intercom telling all the passengers that they will be landing in Ohio in fifteen minutes time. She fastens her seat belt even before the fasten seat belt sign starts to flash and concentrates on the developing scenery rather than think about the plane's final descent.

There's still fifteen minutes left for something to go wrong.

"What are you doing in Ohio?"

She turns her head away from the window to the young brunette woman sitting next to her, her attention momentarily taken away from the card game she was playing with either her son or little brother. It's the first time she's properly noticed the woman sitting beside her due to the fact that the minute she sat down, she closed her eyes, desperately trying to think of anything but flying.

"I'm surprising somebody."

"Is it a special somebody?"

Quinn nods her head slowly, wondering why the woman has suddenly decided to talk to her when they've been sat next to each other for the past three hours. "What about you?"

"I'm visiting my mom," the woman replies. "She spent Christmas with me so I promised I'd fly to Ohio to spend New Year with her."

"That's nice," Quinn replies through clenched teeth as the plane jolts suddenly.

"Are you a nervous flier?"

"What?"

The brunette gestures her head towards Quinn's hands which are currently gripping the armrests as tight as possible, her knuckles turning white as a result of the pressure. Quinn had forgotten she was even doing it.

"Oh right, yeah, I hate flying."

"I thought talking may help take your mind off the fear. I would have started a conversation sooner but you looked fast asleep for most of the flight so I didn't want to disturb you."

Quinn gives the woman a tight-lipped smile as the plane starts to descend causing her to grip the armrests even tighter if that's possible. "Don't worry about it, thanks for talking to me now."

She has always hated flying, ever since she was little. Whenever her family would go on vacation, they always faced a struggle trying to make sure she focused on anything rather than flying. Eventually they started to take road trips rather than fly whenever they visited another state.

It was easier that way.

Even if they never left North America.

This is the first time she's flown in over a decade, normally she follows her parent's example and drives across states but she didn't really fancy driving for 9 hours just for one night.

"Don't mention it," the woman smiles. "I'm Marley by the way."

Quinn gives her a small smile. "I'm Quinn. I would shake your hands but they're kind of indisposed at the moment."

"I'll let you off, just this once," Marley replies lightly. "This person you're surprising must be special if you're flying when you don't like it."

As the scenery outside the window starts becoming clearer and she receives her first glance of Ohio, Quinn smiles properly for the first time since stepping foot on the plane. "Yeah, she is."

* * *

"Will you stop messing with your tie," Rachel pleads with her dad quietly. "You look great."

They had come to the party about an hour ago, Rachel dictating that since the Pierces had stated the party started at 8 o'clock, they should arrive promptly. Arriving fashionably late isn't something Rachel Berry does, it never has been.

Punctuality is her thing.

The past couple of days have passed by rather quickly with Sophie and her dad getting on like a house on fire as usual whilst she watched from the side lines. Her parents fell in love with Sophie as soon as they met her and now there's never an uncomfortable moment between Sophie and her dad, instead they discuss everything from musical theatre to sports and she knows her dad sees her like a second daughter.

She fiddles with her watch, seeing that it's only a little after nine, they still have three hours to wait until midnight. She sends a soft smile in Sophie's direction before letting her mind wander to Quinn, hopelessly wondering what the blonde is doing right now. She can't help but wish that Quinn had taken her up on the offer of coming to Ohio. Even though she wants to believe she invited Quinn so the blonde wouldn't spend the night alone, she knows the real reason is because she wanted Quinn's company for the night.

Leroy brings his fingers away from his tie and places them at his side. "I don't want to look too formal for a party; the last party I went to was a fiftieth birthday party and it was certainly not as lively as this."

Rachel glances around as more and more people start to arrive, it seems most people didn't share her belief in punctuality. "It does seem to be getting livelier," Rachel replies. "Although it still has a hint of sophistication about it because a lot of the people here are older."

"Are you saying I fit right in then?"

Rachel chuckles lightly before catching a glimpse of Santana and her mother drinking copious amounts of liquor in synchronisation.

Like mother like daughter.

"I think the level of sophistication might decline shortly."

Leroy follows his daughter's line of sight. "Maybe I should join them, if Mrs Lopez can drink as well as a 24 year old I'm sure I could."

"I'm not carrying you home dad."

This time it's Leroy who laughs.

"Your drinks," Sophie announces as she reappears in front of them, handing Rachel and her father glasses of juice. "Brittany's parents are in the backyard if you want somebody more mature to talk to Leroy."

Leroy fights the urge to fiddle with his tie again. "If you want to get rid of me so you can spend some time with my little girl alone, you only need to ask. There's no need to fabricate an excuse."

Sophie blushes as the older man calls her out. "Sorry, I just wanted to talk to her."

"Say no more." Leroy kisses the top of Rachel's head. "I'll see you later."

Bringing her drink to her lips, she takes a small sip. She glances at Sophie who is standing in front of her fiddling with her fingers. "Is something wrong?"

"Why would anything be wrong?"

"You said you wanted to talk to me," Rachel declares. "That normally means something is wrong."

Sophie interlocks her fingers with her girlfriend. "Nothing's wrong, I just…are you okay? I can't help but feel like you've been distant these last couple of days. Did you not want me to fly out for the holidays?"

"Of course I wanted you to fly out. I'm sorry if I've been distant it's just –" Rachel begins, scrunching up her nose. "It's the first holidays without my daddy and it's been difficult."

The response seems to appease the auburn-haired woman who closes her eyes and nods slowly. "I'm such an idiot; of course it's been difficult. You've lost your dad and here am I thinking I've upset you or done something wrong."

It's ironic that Sophie thinks she's done something wrong when in reality, the only thing she's done wrong is be a perfect girlfriend to somebody who is doesn't deserve it right now.

"You're not an idiot."

Sophie grins at the reassurance. "Did you like your present?"

Rachel looks down at her left wrist where Sophie's present rests. One of her Hanukkah presents for Rachel, alongside the two bunches of flowers over two days, a box of chocolates, a necklace, Broadway tickets to see Wicked and a teddy bear holding a heart with the words 'I love you' neatly written on it, was a replacement charm bracelet for the one she lost a couple of months ago.

Even though Rachel had told her not to buy a present for each day of Hanukkah, Sophie had ignored her plea, giving her a gift every day so far.

The bracelet wasn't an exact replica but Sophie had tried to make sure it was as similar as possible. She'd bought the same charms even though they don't look exactly the same. The silver isn't tarnished so the brightness of the gold is no longer in stark contrast with it and this bracelet doesn't hold sentimental value but Rachel appreciates it never the less and when Sophie had given it to her, her heart had swelled with adoration.

She always had hated herself for being so careless with her old one and losing it.

"I love it."

"I love you."

Rachel ducks her head so the words come out as a whisper. "I love you too."

Sophie pecks her girlfriend's lips. "I promised Brittany I would keep an eye on Santana tonight; make sure she doesn't get too drunk. Apparently Santana always becomes nervous whenever she's around Brittany's parents and acts inappropriately so I have to be there to stop that from happening. You don't mind if I float between the two of you do you?"

Rachel shakes her head. "Not at all."

Sophie kisses her quickly before taking a sip of her own drink, tapping her foot in time with the music. It's ironic how Rachel had wanted Quinn to come to Ohio so she wouldn't spend New Year's Eve alone, yet it seems that even though Rachel's surrounded with family and friends, that's how she's going to be spending her night.

* * *

Rachel finishes her drink before throwing the plastic cup into the trash and heading upstairs. Growing up she only entered Brittany's house once in order to work on a duet for Glee Club so she can't really remember the layout. All the doors are closed on this floor and she's having trouble locating the bathroom is. Knocking on the first door, she receives a blunt _'we're busy'_, a voice that sounds distinctly like Santana's. She apologise quietly, unsure whether they'll even hear her before knocking on the next door.

"Are you lost?"

Rachel spins around at the voice and beams when her eyes land on tussled blonde hair. She has to contain herself from sprinting towards the blonde and wrapping her arms around her. The sight of her makes her heart swell and the knowledge that she has come all this way just to spend New Year's Eve with everybody is heart-warming.

Although part of her hopes that Quinn has come for her rather than everybody else.

"Quinn, you came."

Quinn steps forward and embraces the other woman in a hug. She feels Rachel bury her head into the crook of her neck and gives the brunette a squeeze in response. The contact lasts much longer than a friendly hug should until eventually Quinn releases her hold on the other woman. "I decided the prospect of spending the night in Ohio with everybody was better than spending it alone."

"I'm really glad you came, I just hope it's worth it since you've made the trip."

She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth as she rakes her eyes over Rachel. "Trust me; it's already been worth it."

Rachel feels herself blush and ducks her head, hoping Quinn won't see the pink tint which fills her cheeks.

"You're cute when you blush." Quinn closes her eyes quickly, silently berating herself. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay."

Quinn smiles softly. "So, are you lost?"

"I was looking for the bathroom."

Quinn nods before wrapping her fingers around Rachel's waist and leading her towards a door at the end of the corridor. She's slightly surprised that Rachel is willingly following her without even questioning Quinn's actions; still she can't pretend Rachel's trust doesn't delight her. Pushing open the door she steps inside, closing the door once Rachel has followed her in.

Rachel looks around their surroundings with a smile. "We're in the bathroom."

"We are," Quinn replies with a laugh. "I want to give you something and then I'll leave you alone."

"I don't want you to leave me alone."

The words come out of her mouth before she can stop them and her eyes widen once she's spoken. She's about to speak again, to try and rephrase that but Quinn beats her to it.

"I just meant I'll leave you to use the bathroom."

Rachel bobs her head awkwardly. "What did you want to give me?"

She's grateful that Quinn doesn't press the matter anymore. "Your Hanukkah present," Quinn explains, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small, neatly wrapped present.

"I haven't got yours; it's in my dad's house," Rachel tells her. "I didn't expect to see you tonight.

"It doesn't matter." She hands the present over with a wide smile. "There you go."

Rachel takes the box from the blonde and the excitement that washes over her makes her feel like a child again. She rips the paper off eagerly and opens the lid, grinning widely when she sees the contents of the box.

"My charm bracelet?"

"I know it's sort of a cheat because I didn't buy it for you but I found it in my living room after we…you know," Quinn explains, using her hands to make her point. "Anyway, the clasp had broken so I sent it to get fixed."

"I wasn't even sure I'd lost it in your apartment, I thought I might have lost it in the bar." Rachel subconsciously pulls down her cardigan so it covers Sophie's replacement bracelet. She fingers her old bracelet observing all the charms. Her dad had bought her the charm bracelet for her Batmitsva along with the Star of David charm, Sophie had bought her the heart charm on their sixth-month anniversary, Kurt had bought her the microphone after they won Nationals and her daddy had bought her the two stars, informing her that like the gold star which shone brighter than the rest of the bracelet, she shone brighter than anybody else. Her fingers come to rest on a brand new charm that hadn't been there when she lost the bracelet. "Did you add this?"

"Now that can be classed as a present because I did buy that," Quinn replies with a sense of pride. "You said Wicked was your favourite play so I thought a witch charm would be a nice touch. I would have bought you a charm to do with singing but you already have the microphone so I wasn't sure what to get."

"I love it Quinn, thank you." Rachel holds out her right wrist with the bracelet in her left hand. "Will you put it on me please?"

Quinn takes the bracelet and fastens the clasp over Rachel's wrist. "Is that okay?" She feels Rachel's lips graze her cheek in response.

"It's perfect."

"I have something else for you too," Quinn starts, holding her hand up as she sees Rachel open her mouth, most likely to berate her for buying another gift. "I didn't buy it so you can't shout at me. I don't want to spoil the surprise but promise me that you'll keep the afternoon of the 3rd free."

Rachel furrows her eyebrows. "Why?"

"I can't tell you, just promise me you will."

"Okay, I promise."

Quinn beams before remembering where they were. "I'll let you use the bathroom now but I'll see you at midnight?"

"Midnight?"

"The whole point of New Year's Eve is to celebrate at midnight, why wouldn't I see you then?"

Quinn leaves the bathroom and shuts the door behind her before Rachel can give an answer.

* * *

Quinn glances at the clock which hangs in the kitchen to see that it's only five minutes to midnight. She hasn't spoken Rachel since leaving the bathroom and that was over an hour ago. Since then she has talked a little to Brittany and even less to Santana who is currently having trouble standing and resting against the kitchen counter as a result.

She had spoken to Sophie briefly, the auburn-haired woman telling her that they need to spend the day together shortly; it's been too long since they had seen each other. Quinn could tell that Sophie had been surprised to see her in Ohio since she's the only one of her friends who knows about Quinn's fear of flying but thankfully, she didn't question Quinn on it.

"S, have you seen Rachel?"

Santana looks at her with glazed eyes and shakes her head before nodding then finishing off with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Well that's a very helpful answer, which one is it?"

"Easy with the questions Q," Santana states loudly, talking just to the left of Quinn.

"You're not even looking at me Santana."

Santana raises her eyebrows quickly before whipping her head to the right, bypassing Quinn and staring at the guy standing just behind Quinn. "There you are."

Quinn sighs heavily and steps to her left, stepping directly into Santana's aim. "Have you seen her?"

"I'm seeing three of you right now Quinn, I have no idea if I've seen Rachel."

She sighs again and walks away from the Latina, Brittany's going to have a fun night now Santana's drunk. She can hear people shouting that it's nearly time for the countdown but the only thing on her mind is Rachel.

She pushes through several people as she makes her way throughout the house, spilling several drinks in the process but not caring in the slightest. She's just about to enter the backyard when she bumps into somebody.

The apology is on the tip of her tongue when she sees brunette locks and breathes in the unmistakable scent of vanilla and strawberry.

"There you are," Quinn breathes out lightly.

"You've been looking for me."

_Ten._

"I told you I would find you at midnight. I wanted to see in the New Year with you," Quinn replies quietly, pushing back against people who are bumping into her. She subconsciously brushes a strand of brunette hair behind Rachel's ear. "I wouldn't have come to Ohio otherwise."

_Seven._

"You know they say the way you spend New Year's Eve is the way you going to spend the rest of your year," Quinn continues.

_Four._

Rachel smiles shyly. "Is that so?"

_Two._

Quinn nods quickly, her bottom lip tugged in between her teeth.

_One._

_Happy New Year!_

Cheers and party poppers erupt around her and even though they're in a crowded room, she finds herself leaning towards Rachel.

She can't stop herself.

She hears Rachel's breath hitch before somebody comes between them and the sight of Sophie swooping in and pressing her lips against Rachel's causes her to feel sick with jealously. She automatically looks away, finding the sight unbearable.

As if she would have been able to kiss somebody else's girlfriend at a New Year's Eve party in front of everybody, it's probably a good job Sophie intervened because otherwise her friendship with Sophie could have been over there and then.

Quinn turns around quickly and nearly falls back in surprise as someone places their lips on hers. It's only brief and before she knows it, the contact is gone. She's about to lose her temper and tell whoever has just kissed her that you can't just go around kissing random people when the person moves away and long blonde hair comes into view. She releases a quiet laugh when she realises it's just Brittany.

"No, you can't kiss Quinn," Santana slurs from the kitchen. "You're mine, not hers."

Brittany blows a kiss in her fiancée's direction. "Happy New Year Quinn."

"Happy New Year Britt, what was the kiss for?"

"It's bad luck not to kiss anybody at midnight Q," Brittany tells her with a sad smile. "It means you're going to be lonely for the year to come and I don't want you to be a sad panda anymore."

Quinn scoffs lightly. "I don't believe in superstitions."

Brittany beams at her. "Well you don't need to because now I've kissed you, you won't be lonely."

Maybe Brittany's right about the superstition and maybe she's right about how Quinn won't be lonely the next year but as she casts her gaze back to Sophie and Rachel, she can't help but wonder whether in order to not be lonely the next year, the kiss has to come from the right person.

Unfortunately, this year, it didn't.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :) Updates may not be as frequent after this because I do have university work to get on with now but I'll try to keep them as frequent as possible. Just a quick thanks to all the guest reviews since I can't respond to them individually :)

* * *

**Chapter 12:**

She throws the outfit on her bed, silently deciding that it's not appropriate to wear today. Not that she knows what would be appropriate for today's outing with Quinn; the blonde hasn't supplied any information about what the surprise is other than giving her a meeting place at Starbucks.

The meeting place is the reason why Rachel is leaning towards more casual attire.

Maybe she should wear a novelty sweater; Quinn seemed to like the last novelty sweater she had worn. When Lily was distracted by the Christmas tree, Quinn had sidled beside Rachel and whispered that not many people could look cute in a sweater with reindeers on yet she managed to.

Although most of the novelty sweaters she owns are more suitable for the festive period so now she comes to think of it, maybe that's not a viable option.

Her eyes land on the little black dress which hangs at the back of her closet. Kurt had convinced her to buy it when she had reluctantly allowed him to take her shopping. The dress isn't something she would normally buy for herself but Kurt had forbidden her from buying argyle sweaters, stating that since he was starting a fashion internship at Vogue, her make-over could be his first project.

She learnt long ago that sometimes it's easier to go along with Kurt's ideas rather than fight them.

Apparently, her argyle sweaters represented the old Rachel, Ohio Rachel. Now they were in New York, it was time for new Rachel to make an appearance.

Although Kurt's still none the wiser to the fact that she has a stash of argyle sweaters in the bottom of her closet.

He doesn't need to know about that.

The dress had been in the sale, which only reinforced Kurt's belief that she should invest in the article of clothing. He promised her that people would be powerless to resist her if she wore it.

Despite his compliments when she tried it on and his constant promises that she had looked sexy, her lack of self-confidence in her body means that after buying it four years ago, the dress has never left her closet. She runs the item of clothing through her fingers, wondering whether it would still fit her and whether today might be the day to wear it.

It can't stay in her closet forever.

She's just about to throw the dress on when her cell phone rings. She drops the dress on her bed, allowing it to join the several other outfits she has already disregarded and answers her phone. "Hello?"

"_Hey, are you busy?"_

She sends a fleeting look in the direction of her bed, her clothing concealing the furniture. "Not right this minute, why?

"_Well my mom decided today would be a perfect day to have lunch together and go shopping for dresses for my cousin's wedding and I was wondering if you wanted to join us," _Sophie asks. _"I know my mom wants to see you and she's not the only one."_

"I'm spending the afternoon with Kurt. He wants to talk to me about Blaine and you know Kurt, it will take the whole afternoon."

The lie falls off her lips before she can even think about it. She doesn't know why she lied, there's nothing wrong with her spending the afternoon with Quinn. She's just spending the afternoon with a friend, Sophie wouldn't be angry at her for it.

Although if she really believes that, then why did she lie?

She hears Sophie sighs sadly into the phone. _"I guess it's just me and my mom then. How many times do you think she'll ask me about you?"_

Rachel chuckles into the phone. "Since Sheila adores me," she replies cockily. "I'm going to be over-confident and say seven."

Sophie laughs, knowing full well that her girlfriend is probably going to be right. Her mother does adore Rachel; her mom says Rachel reminds her of what she was like as a child. _"I'll undercut you and go for four then, although you'll probably win. You always do."_

"I'm sorry I can't come with you today."

"_Don't worry about it; if Kurt needs to talk to you, I'm not going to ruin your afternoon with him."_

She feels guilt surface in the pit of her stomach. "Have fun with your mom."

"_Have fun with Kurt."_

"Bye Soph, I'll call you later."

She waits for Sophie to say her goodbyes before hanging up the phone and throwing it into her bag. The guilt still lingers in the pit of her stomach as she hangs the dress back up in her closet, grabbing one of her argyle sweaters instead and shrugging it on.

New Rachel may be sexier in Kurt's eyes but she still feels more comfortable as old Rachel.

* * *

She takes a sip of her tall skinny latte with two shots of vanilla syrup, her eyes trained on the entrance to Starbucks. She had texted Rachel earlier this morning and told the brunette to meet her at half 3 in the coffee shop. Even though the audition wasn't until 5, Quinn saw an opportunity to spend time alone with the woman and she wasn't about to pass that up. After witnessing Sophie kiss Rachel on New Year's Eve, Quinn had returned to one of the Pierce's spare bedroom, Brittany's parents kindly allowing her to stay the night with them rather than have her pay for a hotel.

Unsurprisingly, Brittany's parents are exactly the same as the young dancer, her mom especially.

It's rather scary.

The text she sent Rachel this morning had been her first form of contact with her since New Year's Eve and all she received in response was a one-word answer, _Okay x. _At least Rachel had returned the kiss that Quinn had sent her way. She doesn't like sending texts without at least one kiss; she thinks the text message sounds too blunt and harsh without it.

Organising this audition for Rachel had seemed like a fantastic idea at first but she had been too focused on pleasing the woman that she had forgotten about the implications. She's went out of her way to help Rachel achieve her dream, a woman who she's only known for a couple of months, a woman who's she's developing feelings for.

She's tried to ignore these feelings, when Rachel had helped decorate her tree with her and Lily; she had refrained from kissing her even though she had wanted to because she knew it was wrong. No matter how hard she tries to fight her feelings, they only fight back stronger. She's unable to pretend anymore that she doesn't like Rachel.

Rachel is Sophie's girlfriend.

Sophie is her best friend.

That's the way things stand now but if Quinn was to act on her feelings, the dynamics of the trio would change.

If Rachel was her girlfriend, Sophie wouldn't be her best friend.

The two are mutually exclusive; Quinn can't have both.

Either way she's going to lose somebody.

The day after Santana proposed to Brittany, she had told Quinn that Brittany was the one for her and she knows that Brittany would have always been the one for her regardless of when or how they met. If they'd both been dating other people, Brittany would still have been her soul mate, if they were old and decrepit, she still would have been her soul mate and Santana would have always pursued her.

She was just fortunate they both met whilst they were young, free and single.

If Rachel had been single, Quinn would have definitely chased her, the fact that she's in a relationship wouldn't have made a difference either.

The only thing that does make a difference is the fact that her girlfriend is Sophie.

It kills Quinn that she is secretly coveting her best friend's girlfriend but what kills her even more is the knowledge that her mom is right.

No matter how hard she tries to fight her feelings, at the end of the day she's going to pursue Rachel even though she shouldn't.

She rubs her eyes harshly before burying her head back into Great Expectations, delving back into the relationship between Pip and Estella. The Dickens' novel has always been one of her favourite novels, even when the rest of her classmates grumbled about having to read Dickens and Shakespeare, Quinn revelled in the challenge. She praised the writers' ability to transport her into a different era, a different world, through the use of words alone.

A world where sometimes things worked out and sometimes things didn't.

Just like life.

"Is this seat taken?"

Her head whips up at the words and her eyes land on the very person who occupies most of her thoughts these days. Rachel's dressed appropriately for the weather yet still appears to be shivering. Her brunette hair which is decorated in snowflakes and the pink tint filling her cheeks due to the cold make her look even more beautiful than usual.

"I was saving it for Mila Kunis," Quinn jests lightly. "But I suppose you'll do."

Rachel scowls at her before sitting down in the available seat. "If Mila Kunis comes in, I'll be sure to move."

Quinn chuckles before closing her book. "Can I get you a drink?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

Rachel removes her coat and places it on the back of her chair before running a hand through her hair to rid it of snowflakes. "On whether we have time to stay and have coffee. Since you told me to keep my afternoon free I presumed you had something to show me and I don't mean to sound ungrateful but coffee in Starbucks is hardly a surprise, let alone one that requires me keeping my entire afternoon free."

"I'll certainly keep that in mind. Not the whole rant but definitely the Starbucks isn't a good surprise part," Quinn replies lightly. "The surprise is coming later, I just thought it would be nice to grab a cup of coffee first and talk."

"Well in that case, I'll go buy a coffee."

"My treat," Quinn replies, standing up before Rachel even has a chance to move. "What would you like?"

"I'm more than capable of buying a cup of coffee for myself."

Quinn shakes her head with a smile. "I'm sure you are, what you do seem to be incapable of however, is letting somebody do something nice for you. I want to buy you a drink, not because you're incapable but because I'm trying to be nice."

Rachel blushes; it's becoming a habit around the blonde. "If you're sure, I'll have a latte please."

"Anything to eat?"

Rachel shakes her head and with a bob of her head, Quinn heads towards the counter where Nick is working, luckily there's no queue so she's able to order straight away.

It's a couple of seconds after Quinn leaves that Rachel closes her eyes in realisation; she'd forgotten to tell Quinn to order her latte with soy milk due to her veganism. She spins around in the hope she'll catch the blonde before she orders but Quinn is already on her way back.

As soon as she sits down Quinn catches the brunette's worried expression. "What's wrong?"

"I forgot to tell you I need soy milk rather than regular, I'll just go ask them to make another."

"There's no need to do that, it's coming with soy milk."

Rachel frowns slightly. "It is?"

Quinn nods before drinking some of her latte. "Of course, vegans don't drink milk do they?"

It's a rhetorical question so she doesn't answer.

"You remembered I'm a vegan."

Quinn tilts her head to the side with a lazy smile. "Did you think I would have forgotten?"

She's not sure whether Quinn's genuinely looking for an answer that time. She hadn't forgotten anything she knew about Quinn so logic would suggest that Quinn wouldn't have forgotten what she knew about her.

Still, she had dated Finn for over a year and despite telling him over and over again, he constantly forgot she was a vegan.

Sensing she's not receiving an answer anytime soon, Quinn decides to change the topic of conversation. "That's a cute sweater by the way."

Rachel doesn't look down. "Thank you."

"How was the rest of your New Year's Eve?"

"It was nothing special," Rachel says. "I didn't see you after midnight though."

"Brittany's parents let me stay the night in one of their spare bedrooms so I disappeared up there pretty much straight after midnight," Quinn tells her. "Something knocked me out of the party mood."

"She's my girlfriend; did you really think she wouldn't kiss me at midnight?"

Quinn exhales heavily. "No I knew she would but that didn't stop me from –"

"From what?"

Hazel eyes find chocolate ones. "From wanting to kiss you too."

The words linger in the air and Quinn uses the sudden silence to gage Rachel's reaction. Part of her suspects that Rachel already knew Quinn looked at her as more than just a friend but that doesn't stop part of her from feeling terrified that Rachel is about to stand and walk away.

Surprisingly she doesn't regret what she's just said; she needed Rachel to know.

That way, Rachel is either going to reject her or tell her she wanted to kiss her too.

Either way, she'll know how Rachel feels.

The question which falls from Rachel's lips however, isn't one she had been expecting.

"If Sophie hadn't appeared, would you have kissed me?"

The corner of Quinn's mouth curls upwards ever so slightly. "You know the answer to that."

And Rachel did because she can remember Quinn leaning closer to her once midnight struck. Like when they were standing underneath the mistletoe, Rachel wouldn't have moved away.

Quinn clears her throat. "If I had, would you have let –"

"I have your Christmas presents with me today," Rachel announces, effectively interrupting whatever Quinn was about to say.

Even though she wanted to know the answer, needed to know the answer, she allows Rachel to change the topic because right now, it's what Rachel needs to do. She claps her hands feigning dramatic excitement. "Presents, as in plural?"

Rachel reaches into her bag and pulls out a tiny wrapped present before pushing it across the table towards Quinn. The blonde grins at the gift and memories of Christmas Day growing up flood over her. She rips the paper off before frowning in curiosity at her present.

"Nasal strips?" She asks before taking a sip of her coffee.

"They're to help with your snoring."

Quinn nearly spits out her coffee at that statement. She stares doe-eyed at the brunette who crosses her legs nonchalantly.

"Come again?"

"I don't really understand what problem you're encountering with my statement. Nasal strips are notorious for helping people with snoring; they're supposed to open the nasal passage allowing you to breathe more easily through your nose rather than your mouth. They should help you."

"One latte with soy milk," Nick states as he places the drink in front of Rachel. "Sorry about the wait, the machine decided to be temperamental."

"It's okay, thank you."

"Thanks Nick."

Both women thank the barista at the same time, Quinn using his name.

"You're welcome ladies, enjoy the drinks. See you tomorrow Quinn."

"Do you make it a habit of knowing the staff at everywhere you frequent?" Rachel asks with genuine curiosity.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you knew the waitress from the diner personally and you knew him," Rachel explains, pointing haphazardly at Nick who is serving a customer. "I'm not picking fault with it, I think it's nice that you're friendly with them."

Quinn trails the tip of her index finger around the rim of her glass. "I'm a creature of habit; before work I buy the same coffee every day from here and I visit that diner on a regular basis. I guess I just like to know who is serving me."

"I think that's sweet," Rachel replies, taking a sip of her drink before flinching a little. "I burnt my tongue."

"What else did you think would happen if you drank a steaming hot drink?" Quinn teases as the brunette sticks her tongue out at her. "Anyway, don't think I didn't notice the change of topic. You were fabricating a story that I snore."

"I'm sorry; did you not know you snore?"

"I do not snore."

"You do."

"I do not," Quinn states adamantly before rolling her eyes, knowing full well that this conversation could go on like this for some time. "If I did somebody would have told me by now."

"You mean like I'm doing right now?"

"I meant before."

Rachel scrunches her nose up and blows delicately on her drink. "You leave before your one-night stands wake up and then you don't see them again, how could they tell you? I woke up before you and I'm telling you, you snore."

"I've had a relationship before and she never told me I snore."

"Maybe she didn't want to hurt your feelings," Rachel suggests.

Quinn scoffs quietly. "I highly doubt that."

"Maybe it's a recent thing then," Rachel offers as an explanation this time. "Do your parents snore? Supposedly it's genetic."

As she takes a sip of her drink, her brows furrow in contemplation. "My dad snores like a trucker, sometimes my mom has to sleep in the spare room because he's that loud," Quinn explains before tugging her bottom lip between her teeth nervously. "Is it bad snoring?"

"Could you define bad snoring for me?"

"Is it annoying and do I snore loudly like a trucker or was it soft snores that were kind of cute," Quinn clarifies, hoping for the latter.

"It was quite loud," Rachel says and the blonde ducks her head in embarrassment. "I don't know what a trucker sounds like so I can't accurately say whether or not that's what you sound like. I didn't find it annoying, but then again, I didn't try to get to back to sleep."

"That's good to know," Quinn replies, sufficiently embarrassed by this conversation. She's tempted to throw the nasal strips away but if Rachel's telling the truth, and she has no reason to lie, they might come in handy at some point so she pockets them "Well thank you I guess, it's thoughtful of you."

"Trust me; somebody will be grateful for those in the future." Rachel drinks some of her hot chocolate, thankful that it's not too hot anymore. "That is of course a joke present and not your real one."

"So I don't snore."

"Oh no you do, it's a real present in that respect but compared your other present, it's a joke," Rachel explains. "I'm not really being very clear am I?"

Quinn scratches the top of her nose. "The nasal strips are a novelty present but real never the less."

Rachel taps the edge of the table. "Novelty, that's the word I wanted. I'll just give you your other present and we can move on," she says with a chuckle. Reaching into her bag again she pulls a larger present out, sliding it over the table to Quinn. "That's your real present, the more important one."

Quinn touches the wrapping paper nervously. "I'm not about to be offended again am I?"

"I shouldn't think so."

Hesitantly she unwraps the present, depositing the wrapping paper in a nearby bin before running her hands over the book that she now holds in her hands. Her eyes move from side to side as she reads the front cover before turning the book over to inspect the back.

"Wuthering Heights?"

"I noticed your collection of first edition books when I spent the night," Rachel explains. "When I helped decorate your tree with you and Lily, I had a look again and noticed that you didn't have Wuthering Heights so I thought you might appreciate it and now you can add it to your collection."

"You snooped through my apartment?" Quinn teases, oddly it doesn't bother her as much as she thought it would. "Hold on, when I gave you the dradle, you told me you didn't buy me anything but if you were observing my book collection, you must have wanted to buy me a present."

"I observed your book collection out of sheer curiosity but I also like to be prepared. Luckily this time my preparation paid off because when you gave me my present, I already knew what I could get you." Rachel brushes some of her hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't have bought it for you if you hadn't given me a present. I didn't know what the boundaries were."

Quinn traces the spine of the book delicately with her finger before opening it and carefully turning the pages. "Would it be really weird if I smelt this book right now?"

Rachel frowns at her. "Yes."

Shrugging her shoulders, she brings the book to her nose and inhales. "I love the smell of old books," Quinn tells her. "It's one of my favourite smells."

"I like freshly cut grass."

Quinn doesn't look up from the book. "I like that too."

"You don't have this one do you?" Rachel asks quietly. "I didn't just miss it when I was snooping."

Her answer comes in the form of a shake of the head.

"I used to have it but I lost it somewhere in the move from my parent's house to my apartment. I've always said I'll buy it again but I've never got round to it.

"Now you don't have to."

Quinn finally looks away from the book to the brunette, a wide smile gracing her lips.

"Now I don't have to."

* * *

Rachel comes to a halt at the side of the road. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?"

Quinn shoves her hands into her pockets as she waits for a chance to cross the road. They're less than a minute from their destination but Rachel has repeatedly asked ever since they left Starbucks, which incidentally was only a couple of minutes ago. Apparently being patient was not one of Rachel's traits. She's tried trying her friend 'it's a surprise' but that doesn't seem to deter her.

"How many times are you going to ask me that before you learn that I'm not going to tell you?"

"I don't like not knowing."

Quinn glances at her quickly. "Why not? It's half the fun."

"Maybe for you," Rachel pouts.

When the chance to cross the road arises, she bumps Rachel's hip. "Come on, we're nearly there and trust me, it's going to make that pout disappear."

Realising Quinn isn't going to tell her where they're going, she begrudgingly crosses the road behind the blonde. As they turn down West 44th street, Quinn comes to a halt.

"Are we here?" Rachel asks excitedly, scanning her environment in the hope that it will tell her what Quinn's surprise is. It takes longer than it should but her eyes finally fall on the Shubert Theatre. "Are we going to see a show?"

"Not exactly, but the theatre does play a crucial part in your surprise," Quinn replies, grabbing Rachel's hand and leading her towards the side door of the theatre. She pushes the door open before walking in, hearing Rachel close the door behind them. She feels pressure behind her and doesn't need to turn around to know that Rachel has slowed down behind her, clearly worried about trespassing.

"Trust me Rachel," she says, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. Before they move any further, Quinn uses her free hand to hold a finger up to her lip. "But we have to be quiet." They walk a little further before coming to rest at the side steps to the stage.

"What are we doing here?" Rachel whispers as quietly as she can, whilst she draws back the curtain to glance at the stage. "Quinn they're holding auditions, we can't be here. I've already sneaked into one Broadway theatre and been caught, I don't want a repeat performance."

"You have?" Quinn asks, surprise lacing her voice. "I didn't have you down as somebody who enjoys breaking and entering. What other crimes have you hidden from me?"

"I haven't hidden any crimes, besides haven't we just broken in?"

"No we haven't," Quinn answers quickly. "You seriously sneaked into a Broadway theatre?"

Rachel peeks behind the curtain once more. "It was a moment of madness," she tells Quinn, her gaze shifting from the man on stage to the two men and two women sitting in the chairs judging him. "In my junior year, my Glee club came to New York for Nationals and whilst we were supposed to be writing an original song, Kurt and I explored New York and he brought me to the Gershwin theatre. We wanted to experience what it was like to perform on a Broadway stage." Rachel glances around the theatre quickly. "It was on that stage that it really hit me. I mean Broadway had always been a dream but performing on stage, I realised that nothing else was ever going to be good enough for me. Broadway was it for me."

"Do you want to experience that feeling again?"

"Of course I do." Rachel furrows her eyebrows. "Now?"

"No time like the present."

"In this case there are many better times than the present," Rachel informs her. "They're in the process of holding auditions so we need to go before somebody catches us."

She attempts to make her way back to the side door when Quinn overtakes her. "The person on the stage is their last scheduled audition," Quinn tells her. "We're not leaving, you're going to go on that stage and audition for Les Miserables and I'm going to sit at the back of the theatre and watch you."

A look of complete bewilderment fills her face. "I'm not auditioning Quinn."

"God you're stubborn," Quinn replies with a chuckle. "The director's expecting you so it would be rude to let him down."

"He is?"

"He's an old friend from high school and I called in a favour," Quinn states, taking Rachel's hand in her own and leading her back in the direction of the stage. "I wanted you to have your shot at being on Broadway."

Rachel's eyes widen when she realises that Quinn isn't joking or trying to entertain her, the director really is expecting her to audition. The realisation nearly makes her collapse on the spot. "I'm auditioning."

Quinn bobs her head. "Break a leg," she announces before doubting herself. "That is what they say in the world of acting right?"

"You've never heard me sing," Rachel tells her; her focus solely on the stage. "How do you know I'm any good?"

"You told me you've been in off-Broadway productions so you must be good," Quinn replies. "Besides, I believe in you."

"I don't know what to say Quinn."

Their fingers interlock for the shortest of seconds. "You don't have to say anything." Quinn spins Rachel around and gives her a comforting smile. "You just have to sing."

* * *

As soon as Rachel finishes singing, a genuine applause erupts in the theatre and Quinn gives her a standing ovation, ensuring she's clapping the loudest. Rachel had chosen to sing '_On My Own'_; a song that Quinn has only just learnt is from Les Miserables, an apt choice.

She makes a mental note to learn more about musical theatre.

She knew Rachel must be talented but she had no idea how amazing Rachel would be. Quinn felt like she had been watching the actual show rather than just an audition. She can understand why performing at the Gershwin theatre made Rachel realise that nothing else would be good enough because Rachel definitely belonged on that stage.

The performance had given her chills and the hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention every time Rachel hit a note perfectly.

Right now, applauding Rachel's talent, she feels like a proud girlfriend rather a friend.

She stands from her chair and moves to the aisle in order to greet Rachel when she finally leaves the stage. She can just about hear Artie tell the brunette that they'll let her know before Rachel is bounding off the stage and dashing up the stairs to where Quinn is now standing. The blonde is immediately pulled into an embrace and over Rachel's shoulder, Quinn witnesses Artie give her the thumbs up before he heads backstage with his acquaintances.

"Quinn, I have no idea how I'm ever going to repay you for that," Rachel gushes rapidly. She squeezes her arms impossibly tight around the blonde. "Thank you so much."

"You can give me free tickets on your opening night."

Rachel breaks the hug and ducks her head nervously. "I don't know whether I'm even going to be given a part, they said they'll let me know but right now, I actually couldn't care less," she tells Quinn. "I mean don't get me wrong, if I manage to get a part then that is beyond fantastic but just the fact that I managed to audition mean everything to me." Quinn simply smiles as Rachel rambles excitedly. "I can't believe you organised this for me."

"Happy Hanukkah," Quinn replies before brushing of Rachel's hair behind her ear. "You were amazing up there."

"Why did you do this for me?"

"I told you," Quinn tells her, never bringing her hand away from Rachel's face. "I wanted you to have your chance to shine and Rachel, you –" She cups the brunette's cheek, rubbing soft circles with her thumb. "You really shone."

Finn used to tell her she was brilliant but the compliment was always ruined by his belief that she was selfish. Her daddy had been the only person who ever compared her to a star by telling her that she shone and now Quinn is telling her the same thing. She's not sure whether it's due to that or just due to how overwhelmed she is by the kindness of Quinn's gesture but Rachel closes the gap and kisses her.

Quinn's lips are chapped but she doesn't care and they taste like raspberries. Before Rachel can even attempt to deepen the kiss, hands come to rest on her shoulders, gently pushing her away.

This isn't a new experience for her; she's faced rejection several times before. The first time she told somebody she liked them was in fourth grade and they had promptly laughed in her face. The first time she kissed Finn, he had pushed her away from him before freaking out.

Now eight years later, the same thing was happening again.

Except this time, the rejection really stings.

She thought Quinn wanted her, the lingering looks, the things she said, everything made Rachel think she wanted her. It may sound arrogant but she never expected Quinn to push her away.

Clearly she was wrong.

"I'm so sorry."

She brushes past the blonde stilling the moment Quinn's fingers wrap around her wrist. With just one touch, Quinn has utter control over her and she daren't move.

She daren't speak.

"Don't apologise."

With one light tug, Rachel finds herself pressed flushed against Quinn. Their noses brush together lightly before Quinn brings their lips together in a plain, chaste kiss.

Nothing more than a whisper of a touch.

It's not pushing any boundaries, instead it's setting some.

Quinn's silently telling Rachel that she wants her; she wants this whilst also giving her the opportunity to be the one who stops it this time.

Their breaths mingle together before Rachel leans forward and kisses Quinn. At the movement, Quinn grabs a fistful of the brunette's sweater, bunching it up in her hand, tugging her impossibly closer. She hears Rachel moan into the kiss and the noise only spurs her on.

Unlike with their first kiss, this isn't about sex.

Quinn's content to just stay like this for the foreseeable future. She doesn't care that they're in the middle of a Broadway theatre, that anybody could walk in on them right now or that she's kissing her best friend's girlfriend.

The only thing that matters is Rachel is kissing her.

Rachel kissed her first.

Hands come to rest on her waist and squeeze it lightly causing Quinn to smile in the kiss. She teasingly strokes her tongues against its counterpart and the shockwaves which overtake her body at the contact are reminiscent of their first kiss.

Quinn didn't want that one to end either.

When Rachel pulls away, her breath ragged and lips bruised, Quinn finds her even more stunning. She leans forward to kiss her again only for Rachel to step back.

"What's wrong?"

Rachel's eyes widen as the realisation of what she's just done hits her.

She's just cheated.

Again.

"I need to go."

"No, don't do this."

The brunette shakes her head vehemently, wringing her hands nervously before walking forward. "I can't."

Quinn steps in front of her of her, blocking her path. "Please don't run away from me."

Rachel swallows nervously, the fragility of Quinn's voice devastating to hear. "I'm sorry."

This time when she tries to move past her, Quinn doesn't stop her.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: Thank you to all the guest reviewers again, I really appreciate them, I've answered them in an author's note at the end :) I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

At the age of twelve, she shared her first kiss with a boy named Ryder Lynn. One month after entering seventh grade, Noah Puckerman turned thirteen and to celebrate his birthday, his mom allowed him to have a birthday party in the basement of their house. He had wanted a party without parental supervision but his mom had told him he was still too young and the pair settled on a compromise. He could have a birthday party in the basement of their house and she would stay upstairs and not interrupt.

Once everybody arrived, Puckerman suggested they play Spin the Bottle, a game which would quickly progress into Seven Minutes of Heaven. They played the game for fifteen minutes before she finally received her chance to spin.

She had hoped it would land on Santana but it didn't.

Even at the tender age of 12, she realised that she didn't look at boys the way other girls in her class did. Instead, she looked at girls that way. The first time she met Santana it had been in fourth grade, the Latina had shoved Billy Jacobs, a fifth grader who had been teasing Quinn and Sophie for having no friends.

It never bothered them because they had each other but it seemed to bother Billy Jacobs.

He made a snide remark to them one day during recess and it had been the last snide remark he ever uttered in their direction. Santana had shoved him and the push coupled with the shock of being attacked by a girl caused him to lose his balance and he landed on the ground hard. She never knew why Santana chose to intervene and shove him but a friendship between the three girls formed that day.

As Santana aged, Quinn realised she was pretty, stunningly so and although Sophie would say how envious she was of Santana's caramel skin or her flawless complexion, Quinn couldn't take her eyes away from her.

Not out of envy but out of curiosity.

She wondered what it would be like to kiss the Latina, to run her fingers through the jet black locks.

So when she span the bottle in Puckerman's basement, she had hoped it would land in her direction and when it didn't, disappointment surged through her.

Although she's never told Santana that, the Latina would revel in the secret information.

Instead, the bottle had landed on Ryder Lynn. A boy with classic good looks and looked like he could be in a boy band; Quinn knew that in a couple of years, girls would be falling over themselves to be with him.

He would only become more and more attractive.

His lips had been dry and he didn't know how to kiss. Not that she did either but the way he kissed her just felt wrong. There was a lot of tongue involved and Quinn can remember never wanting to kiss him again.

Three years later, she shared her first kiss with a girl, a girl who had incidentally been Santana. Quinn had spent the night at Santana's, one of their usual Friday night sleepovers, only this time, Sophie wasn't there. She had a prior engagement with her family and couldn't make it. Santana had suggested playing truth and dare, a game which quickly descended into just truth. That night Quinn found out that Santana had been confused about her own sexuality just like her and after a few shared secrets; they both thought it would be a good idea to kiss.

That way they could see if they felt something when kissing a girl in comparison to the emptiness they felt when kissing a boy.

Unlike Santana, Quinn didn't have much experience when it came to kissing boys; her first and last kiss with a boy had been Ryder Lynn.

When their lips touched, she hadn't seen fireworks and butterflies didn't appear in her stomach. She didn't experience any of the stereotypical clichés but the kiss did feel different than the one she had shared with Ryder.

For a start, Santana knew how to kiss and unlike Ryder, Santana hadn't tried to suffocate her with her tongue.

After that, they kissed again and their friendship slowly developed into a tentative relationship. One that never progressed further than virginal kissing with clothes on but it was enough to make Quinn realise that it was want she wanted.

What she liked.

Their relationship only lasted a few weeks before both girls realised that while they liked being with a girl, it wasn't each other they wanted to be with.

They were best friends, not girlfriends.

Nobody ever knew about their relationship, it was a secret from start to finish. They never informed Sophie about it and Quinn doubts that Santana has even told Brittany. Even she and Santana don't discuss it; it's almost as if it never happened.

However, if anything, their brief relationship solidified their friendship and brought them closer.

Over the years, Quinn has always sought that cliché feeling you receive when you kiss somebody but it has never appeared. Sometimes she'd feel faint butterflies but it would never be anything monumental. Sometimes she'd feel light-headed but that was always due to fatigue or hunger rather than an amazing kiss.

The first time she kissed Rachel outside the bar, that feeling didn't appear either.

She had started to think that it didn't exist, that the clichés were just concocted to give everybody hope but now she knows that isn't the case.

When Rachel had kissed her in the theatre, she experienced the feeling the clichés describe. She may not have saw fireworks but the butterflies certainly danced in her stomach and all she wanted was to kiss Rachel again and again.

Unfortunately the brunette didn't share that thought.

The kiss in the theatre may have felt different because the first time she met Rachel, all she was interested in was sex but now, sex if the last thing she's thinking about.

She doesn't just want to have sex with Rachel, she wants more than that.

She wants everything Rachel described to her when they were standing at the brunette's car a couple of weeks ago. The only problem is, she doesn't just want somebody to share the little things with, she wants to share them with Rachel.

She'd been doing a pretty good job of fighting her feelings for the brunette but as soon as Rachel kissed her, she lost sight of why she was fighting them. She knew that she wanted Rachel but she also knew she couldn't have her.

That kiss just emphasised that fact.

For the briefest of moments, Quinn had Rachel before it was cruelly snatched away. As long as Rachel has a girlfriend, that's all Quinn is going to get.

Stolen moments.

Even though Rachel ran away, even though she regretted the kiss and even though the rejection stings, there's no shying away from the fact that Rachel had kissed her first. Quinn chooses to seek comfort in that knowledge because surely, Rachel wouldn't have kissed her if she truly loved and wanted to be with Sophie.

* * *

_She pours the sugar into the bowl alongside the butter and starts to mix thoroughly. Her mom always told her to use an electronic whisk rather than a hand whisk but Quinn prefers to use her hands rather than rely on technology for every little thing. Besides, the last time she used an electronic whisk, she forgot to turn the speed down and had been showered with flour and sugar as the whisk whipped her mixture furiously._

_She rests the whisk against the bowl at the sound of a timid knock at her front door. Wiping her hands on her apron, she heads towards the door and opens it. "Can I help you?"_

_Rachel stands in front of her fiddling with her fingers, eyes focused on the floor. "I think we need to talk."_

_Quinn scratches a non-existent itch on her eyebrow before rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand in case she still has sugar on her hand. She opens the door wider allowing Rachel to come in but the other woman remains frozen on her doorstep. "Do you not want to come in?"_

"_I think it'll be better if I stay here."_

"_Are you worried I'm going to jump you or something if you come in?" Quinn jests quietly. "If that's the case, I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."_

"_This isn't funny Quinn, what we did wasn't a joke so can you please stop acting like it was."_

_Quinn sighs heavily. "Okay, I won't make any more jokes but can you either come in or go away because I don't really want to have a conversation with you on the doorstep." _

_She walks back into her kitchen and gives her hands a quick rinse. She hears the door close and glances over her shoulder to see whether Rachel has come in or gone away. The brunette has indeed come inside and now hovers awkwardly in her living room._

"_You don't need to feel awkward around me," Quinn tells her, trying to put the other woman at ease. "It may have been a joke but I'm not going to jump you."_

"_I know you're not."_

"_Then can you please relax," Quinn replies. "When people are on edge, they make me feel on edge and I prefer to feel comfortable, especially in my own home."_

_Rachel allows herself to relax. Even though she feels nervous about the impending conversation they need to have about the kiss, the blonde possesses an ability to always make her feel at ease. "You're baking?"_

"_It's Lily's birthday in a couple of days so I'm doing a test just to see whether the cake turns out the way I want it to or if I need to make adjustments."_

"_What kind of cake are you making?"_

"_I don't think you came round to talk about what type of cake I'm baking," Quinn replies, undoing her apron and throwing it onto the counter. "You've been ignoring me."_

"_I didn't want to talk to you."_

_Quinn releases a soft chuckle. "I guessed." She tidies away some of the ingredients she no longer needs mainly so she has something to do with her hands. One of her New Year Resolution's had been to quit smoking and so far she's managed to last seven days with the help of Nicorette patches and Nicorette gum. Although she still craves the Nicotine, the hardest thing she's found is not having anything to do with her hands. "Why do you suddenly want to talk now? You've ignored me for four days."_

"_I needed to wrap my head around the situation before we talked."_

_She takes a seat on one of her kitchen stools and crosses her legs. "So talk."_

_Rachel clears her throat nervously. Normally she doesn't mind being put on the spot. In High School, she was always willing to perform a song even if she hadn't prepared, she was always willing to say what was on her mind but now, standing in front of Quinn who's expecting an answer, she finds herself shying away from the spotlight for the first time._

"_We kissed, a few times. I initiated it and then I ran away."_

"_I know Rachel, I was there. You don't to give me a running commentary."_

_Rachel blushes. "Sorry."_

"_I know you wished it never happened and you regret it," Quinn tells her. "I'm pretty sure that's what you came to tell me so…I already know."_

"_How do you know that?"_

_Quinn quirks her right eyebrow. "You wouldn't have run away if you didn't."_

_Rachel bobs her head slowly. "I have a girlfriend, I shouldn't have kissed you."_

"_Then why did you?" Quinn questions lightly. "I'm not mad at you. I mean, don't get me wrong, I wish you hadn't come here to tell me you regretted it but I just want to know. I have to know. Why did you kiss me?"_

"_I found myself rather overwhelmed at your Hanukkah gift," Rachel explains, taking a seat on the arm of Quinn's couch. "You were so sweet and lovely and I just lost myself for a moment. You told me I shone."_

"_I remember."_

"_My daddy used to tell me that," Rachel continues. "He was the only one who ever used those words and then you used them. Just for one moment, I forgot about Sophie. I forgot that I had a girlfriend and that was because of you. You made me forget and before I knew it, I'd kissed you."_

_Quinn furrows her brow as she stands from the stool and walks over to the fridge. "Do you want a soda or anything?"_

"_Are you aware that we're having a serious conversation right now?"_

_Quinn nods her head before pulling a soda out for herself and opening it. "Of course I am but I've always had a habit of making light of serious situations. I guess that's why I made a joke earlier. In life you either laugh or cry and I prefer the former."_

_Rachel doesn't press the situation anymore. "No, I wouldn't like anything." Quinn closes the fridge door and takes a sip of her drink. "Why did you push me away?"_

_Her tongue darts out momentarily to lick her lips and as usual Rachel finds herself mesmerised by Quinn's actions, no matter how slight they may be. "I wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing. The first night we met, I think I knew you had a partner but I still wanted you. I told you I never claim to be a saint but like the night we met, I didn't want you to do something you were going to regret." Quinn rubs her forehead again. "Yet here we are again, having the same conversation about how you regret it."_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Stop apologising," Quinn replies, having another sip of her soda. "She may be your girlfriend but Sophie is my friend and I shouldn't be chasing her girlfriend. I am being a shit friend to her right now. I don't want to hurt her okay, not again but I am finding it impossible to stay away from you." She walks closer to Rachel. "I have stopped myself from kissing you so many times but when you kissed me, I couldn't stop myself anymore Rachel. I hate that you're dating Sophie and I hate that if she ever finds out, she'll be heartbroken but that doesn't stop me from wanting you."_

"_You just want me because you can't have me."_

_Quinn shakes her head harshly. "That's not true."_

_Rachel rubs her eyes before bringing her attention back to Quinn. "What do you mean not again?"_

"_What?"_

"_You said you don't want to hurt her, not again," Rachel clarifies. "When have you hurt her before?"_

_Quinn opens her mouth before closing it again, finding herself unable to form any words. Rather than deflect the question or lie, she settles for the truth. "It was a couple of years ago; we don't need to talk about that."_

_Rachel bobs her head slowly. "I love Sophie."_

"_So you've said."_

"_I can't do this," Rachel tells her. "Whatever it is between us, it has to stop. I can't keep cheating on her, that's not who I am. I never thought I was capable of cheating but I can't control myself around you."_

"_So what do you suggest we do?"_

"_I don't know," Rachel admits quietly. "I'm not breaking up with Sophie."_

"_I never asked you to."_

"_Can we just pretend what happened in the theatre never happened?"_

_Quinn tilts her head to the side. She can't pretend it never happened, especially since that kiss only solidified the knowledge that she wanted Rachel but somehow, she doesn't think telling Rachel that will go down too well. "And if it happens again?"_

"_It's not going to so we don't need to worry about what ifs," Rachel says adamantly, a little too adamantly, as if she's trying to convince herself more than Quinn._

"_Do you want to avoid each other too?"_

"_I don't think that's going to be possible, we're going to be in each other's lives for the foreseeable future," Rachel replies, running her fingers through her hair. "Please say you're okay with pretending it never happened."_

_The words get caught in Quinn's throat because she isn't okay with doing that but when hazel eyes find chocolate ones, she finds herself agreeing. "If that's the way you want to play it, then fine," Quinn concedes. "We can pretend it never happened."_

_Rachel allows herself to smile slightly. "Thank you."_

_The agreement settles some of Rachel's nerves. Although, she knows that they can both pretend it never happened as much as they like, it won't stop either woman from forgetting. _

* * *

The bartender shouts angrily at the television and the noise shakes Quinn out of her reverie. Their conversation had been two days ago and she hadn't spoken to the brunette since then. It's amazing how one moment can shift the dynamics of a relationship so quickly. Before the kiss, they had been building a quite good friendship but now, it seems like all that progress has been wasted.

She takes a sip of her wine before scouring the menu, trying to decide what to have for lunch. Normally she isn't one for lunchtime drinking but since her mind couldn't concentrate on work, she thought she'd take an early lunch. Maybe the alcohol will spur up some creativity and allow her to focus on work. She told Sylvester she had a doctor's appointment, eventually her boss will see through the pathetic excuses and chose to sanction her but for now, the older woman is allowing them to slide.

Sometimes being the person your boss sees themself in comes in handy.

"You're drinking in the middle of the day now?" Santana questions as she sits on the available seat beside her.

"Are you about to chastise me before doing the exact same thing?"

"Maybe," Santana shrugs before ordering a bottle of wine. "But it's tradition."

"A bottle?" Quinn states, her voice filled with shock. "You tell me off for drinking a glass of wine and you're ordering a bottle."

Santana rolls her eyes before paying the bartender. "It's not all for me, I'm meeting Brit for lunch," she explains, grabbing the menu from Quinn and perusing it. "What's your excuse for sitting in a bar in the middle of the day like you're dabbling with idea of becoming an alcoholic?"

"I just fancied a drink."

"You know you've always been a terrible liar."

"I have not. I'm a fantastic liar," Quinn tells her before looking back at her glass of wine. "That's not to say I'm lying now."

Santana chuckles quietly before ordering Quinn to move to a table with her so she can reserve it for her and Brittany. Quinn obliges and grabs her glass of wine before following Santana and taking a seat at one of the tables in the back of the restaurant. Santana places the bottle on the table before sitting opposite Quinn and opens the menu, laying it across the table. "I've always know when you're lying."

"No you haven't."

"Your voice always gains a couple of octaves when you lie," Santana explains, pouring some wine into her glass. "That's how I know you wanted to kiss me when we played Spin the Bottle at Puckerman's birthday party rather than Ryder or Puckerman like you told me."

Quinn suddenly feels the need to cough, anything to interrupt the intense gaze being sent her way by Santana. Even though it was twelve years ago, she still feels embarrassed that her first crush had been on Santana. Not that the Latina isn't attractive but now they're best friends and Quinn stopped looking at her like that a long time ago, she still finds it strange to think she once looked at her in a romantic sense.

She had no idea Santana knew about that.

"What are you talking about?"

Santana rolls her eyes. "Please, there's no need to deny it. I was smoking, even at 12 I knew it and obviously so did you. I saw the way you used to look at me, you were unbelievably unsubtle. A lot of people have wanted to be with me over the years and you're one of the lucky few who have experienced it."

Normally her arrogance would be annoying but in this case, it's deserved. In high school, both guys and girls wanted to be with her and that didn't change once she'd graduated. It still hasn't changed but since she met Brittany, her eyes never wander.

"How long have you known?"

"Since Puckerman's birthday party," Santana tells her. "Why do you think I chose to confide in you when I realised I was a lesbian?"

"Because you knew I was struggling with my own sexuality."

Santana smiles slowly. "In part but mainly because I knew you wouldn't judge me. You should thank me, I helped us both come out of the closet," she replies, taking a sip of her wine. "Since Brittany broke our no sex before the wedding rule last night –"

"Didn't she only introduce that rule the other day?"

"Yeah but I knew it wouldn't last," Santana replies. "She can't resist me. She said she'll re-introduce it when it's closer to our wedding but I'm sure I can persuade her to break it again. Anyway, because of that I'm in a good mood so I'll toss you a bone. I wanted to kiss you too."

"You did?"

She nods but doesn't say anything else. "The whole point of my trip down memory lane was, I know when you're lying or hiding something so what's really wrong?"

"I think I should stop chasing women in relationships."

Santana frowns. "I've been telling you that for years but you've always ignored me. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Quinn shrugs slowly. "It's just not fun anymore."

"Does this have something to do with Berry?"

She whips her head up at the question. "Why would it have something to do with Rachel?"

Santana leans closer to her and lowers her voice to a whisper. "I'm not an idiot Quinn; I've seen the way you look at her. You want her."

It's times like this when Quinn hates her friend for being so observant. Her throat feels dry and even though she swallows a mouthful of wine, the dryness doesn't disappear. "I don't know what you're talking about Santana."

"She's Sophie's girlfriend."

"I don't want her."

Santana leans back in her chair and a smug smile crosses her face. Quinn's always hated that smile because it usually means she's about to make a point that will silence any argument.

"Did you hear how high your voice went just then? It's incredibly telling."

Quinn opens her mouth to speak but Brittany's appearance causes her to shut her mouth quickly.

"San, hey babe," Brittany gives her fiancée a kiss before sitting down beside her whilst Santana immediately pours her a glass of wine. "Quinn, are you having lunch with us too?"

"No, I'm not going to intrude; I was just having a drink and keeping your fiancée company."

"Are you sure?" Brittany asks before pointing to something on the menu and telling Santana she might order that. "I've invited Karen to come to lunch with us and she might feel better if she has some company."

"You did?"

Brittany brings her attention to Santana. "We left the studio at the same time so I invited her, that's not a problem is it?" Santana shakes her head before drinking some wine.

Quinn rolls her eyes in a playful manner. "Brittany, this isn't another attempt to try and set me up with your friend is it?"

"I didn't know you were going to be here," Brittany replies seriously before a wide grin spreads across her face. "It must be Cupid trying to set you up, not me."

"I never realised Cupid was a blonde from Ohio."

Brittany furrows her eyebrows. "He's not; he's a cherub with wings." Quinn chuckles at the seriousness of Brittany's voice and shrugs the comment off. "You should stay."

_I love Sophie._

_I can't do this._

She hears Rachel's voice in the back of her mind. The brunette told her without reservation that nothing else could happen between them and even though Quinn had expected it, the rejection still stung. If Rachel wants to pretend nothing happened and focus on her relationship with Sophie then it's only fair if she does the same.

"You know what, I will stay."

* * *

Taking into account the fact that she'd only met Karen once before, for less than a minute, and Brittany kept dropping unsubtle hints about how good they looked together, lunch hadn't actually been too bad. Santana and Brittany also managed to stop themselves from disappearing into their own whispered conversations.

Surprisingly, she also has quite a bit in common with Karen.

They're both single for a start and that's incredibly useful. Quinn doesn't think she has it in her right now to deal with another attached woman.

The dancer informed her that she writes in her spare time and until she discovered her passion for both teaching and dancing, she had wanted to be a journalist or an author. Quinn found out that Karen had grown up in London and moved to America when she was 21.

She throws some money into the collective pile in the centre of the table for the bill before running her fingers through her hair anxiously. She was already later than she told Sylvester she would be but if Santana was going to be late, she could always try and sneak back in with the Latina, hopefully escaping the older woman's wrath.

"So, Quinn, what are you doing on Saturday night?"

Quinn contemplates for a second before shaking her head. She had Lily's birthday party to attend during the day but nothing planned for the night time. She presumed she'd end up staying with her family. "I have no concrete plans," she replies. "I'll probably end up having a quiet night in front of the television. I live a very wild lifestyle."

The dark haired girl chuckles before turning shy. "In that case, how would you feel about company?" She suggests nervously. "Or we could go out for a bite to eat."

"Are you asking me on a date?" Quinn questions in all seriousness. Normally she asked women out, not the other way around.

Karen flushes immediately at the question. "I was trying to be painfully subtle but if you're going to call me out on it, yes, I'm asking you on a date."

She smiles softly at the British woman. "I'm not really interested in relationships right now."

Karen returns the smile. "I never mentioned a relationship, it's just one date. We could realise we hate each other and never want to see each other again. You are single right?"

"Of course I am, why?"

"You just looked panicked when I asked you, I thought maybe you were dating somebody or seeing somebody."

Rachel momentarily crosses her mind yet again before Quinn shakes her head softly. "I'm not dating anybody."

"Are you just not interested in me?"

Quinn shakes her head. "It's not you."

"So if you're single and it's not me, how about taking a risk and going on a date with me?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Brittany and Santana watching their interactions with interest, Santana more so than her fiancée. Quinn swallows before looking back at Karen. The dark-haired woman had a rather infectious smile and soon enough, Quinn concedes and smiles back at her. "A date sounds good."

After all, it will probably be best for everybody involved if Quinn focuses her attention on somebody else.

Somebody other than Rachel.

* * *

A/N 2: This is just going to my answer to some of the guest comments who entered a name.

Jock – Thank you :) For the moment, they are going back to maintaining a friendship but they will end up doing something behind Sophie's back, hope that doesn't make you stop reading. I agree with you that I haven't given much insight into Rachel's mind and weirdly as I started writing her feelings for the next chapter, I couldn't stop so next chapter will be Rachel's feelings.

LEALOVER – Sorry, she's not dumping Sophie just yet.

Elmoooooo – This time, she isn't going to be caught out in her lie but that's not going to be the last lie she tells Sophie and a liar always gets found out. As you'll have just read, Rachel's made the wrong decision (i.e. not Quinn) but it's only her decision for the time being. Thank you, I really appreciate that :)

Jade – Thank you, glad you're enjoying the story She is meant to be with Quinn but it's going to take a while yet before she realises it. I like prolonging the drama.

The guest who mentioned Quinn better stop chasing after her, hope you liked this chapter. I had initially thought of having Quinn chasing her again but you're right, she does do it too much.

As for the guest who mentioned certain aspects of the previous chapter which bugged them, I'm sorry you felt that way. However, I did say a couple of chapters ago that I don't know how Broadway works so it was all going to be fictional and guess work. I agree that you would need to prepare for an audition but that would have ruined the surprise and I've always imagined Rachel Berry would be the kind of person who could perform spontaneously with no need to prepare. The chocolate before singing being a no-no, I didn't know because I'm not a singer so I've edited the drink. And finally, it may not make sense that he's directing a Broadway production but Rachel, in this story, has already performed in off-Broadway productions so auditioning for another one wouldn't have been as good a surprise. I do research some things but obviously things in this story won't always be factual. I'll do my best to try and make it more factual though so thank you for letting me know.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: This chapter is a little different than all the others. I don't know whether anybody has ever read my stories based on Coronation Street but quite a lot of them didn't involve much speech and some didn't involve any. This chapter is like that, there is only a small amount of speech at the end and I'm aware some people might prefer there to be more speech but I felt like this was the right way to take the chapter. Initially, I had intended to write all of Rachel's feelings from the first chapter to now but after writing them for Chapter 1, I struggled and felt like I was just repeating myself so instead I've written Chapter 1 feelings and her feelings now. I'm interested to hear feedback on the last section; I think you might like it. Apologies for the long author's note but I just wanted to explain. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

_And, after all, what is a lie? 'Tis but the truth in masquerade – Lord Byron, Don Juan_

* * *

**Chapter 14:**

She always thought October 26th would be a difficult day but she never expected it to be the day that would inevitably change her life.

* * *

The day she first met Quinn was October 26th, it was also the day of her daddy's birthday, the first one since he passed away in July. She expected the funeral to provide her with some form of closure but when she returned to New York a month later, she still felt grief-stricken. She had been rehearsing for her first Broadway audition with Sophie when she received the phone call from her dad informing her that her daddy had suffered a heart attack.

She can still remember the noise her cell phone made as it made contact with her wooden floor. It's consequent cracked screen an accurate representation of her heart.

Sophie had wanted to fly to Ohio with her but she had declined. If Sophie had come, it would have been because she was expecting Rachel to need comfort and support. She would only need those things if the worst happened and she couldn't think negatively, mainly because she needed to hold on to some hope, no matter how small.

It hurt too much otherwise.

Her daddy had always been her own personal superhero, even when both she and her dad were unfortunately inundated with flu, her daddy never fell ill. As a child, whenever she felt sick, even though it wasn't often, he would always take care of her and after his heart attack; it was her turn to do the same.

Two days after she landed in Ohio, he died.

She stills finds herself crying at little things, the sight of his favourite movie in the television listings or finding an old birthday card with his hand writing on.

Surprisingly, she managed to hold it together on the phone to her girlfriend, calmly informing her of her daddy's death and asking her if she could fly to Ohio. Sophie boarded a plane straight away and although she managed to keep her feelings intact on the phone, the sight of her girlfriend was all it took for her to break down.

They say there that when somebody is affected by a death, they experience five stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Rachel certainly experienced them all, remaining in the fourth stage longer than the others.

They'd been dating for just six months at the time of her daddy's death and whilst Rachel loves everything about Sophie, she loves some of her attributes just that little bit more. Her kindness, how considerate she is and how she is always there for Rachel. During and after the funeral, Sophie was there for her, when she needed somebody to talk to and somebody to just hold her when she didn't feel like talking. Occasionally, she would slip back into the second stage of grief, anger but Sophie never questioned her on it, instead she allowed Rachel to let off steam, even if it was directed at her.

Sophie stayed in Ohio with Rachel for the funeral and two weeks afterwards, never being anything but perfect whilst Rachel stayed with her dad for an extra month before flying back to New York in an attempt to move on.

On October 26th, Sophie was there for her yet again. She had been dreading the day ever since her daddy passed away and Sophie knew that but had enough tact to not mention it. Rachel knew that a part of her heart would always remain broken as a result of his death but certain days would hurt more than most.

The anniversary of his death, his birthday and the festive season.

Her initial plan had been to spend the day in Ohio with her dad but he had chosen to spend the day with his brother, something to take his mind off the day. He thought it would be beneficial to the pair of them if they did something that would enable them to think about something else day rather than wallow in misery together. Her dad didn't want her to put her life on hold and she's still trying to heed that advice, although Quinn is her latest distraction, her daddy still crosses her mind most days. Her second plan had been to spend the day alone but Sophie wouldn't allow that, she agreed with Leroy, if she spent it alone, she'd only end up thinking about Hiram. Instead, Rachel and Sophie spent the day together, Sophie trying to make it as painless as possible for her girlfriend, trying to make her forget what day it was.

Even if only for a second.

Rachel though she'd love how Sophie was there for her, like she had after the funeral but for some reason, her kindness and attentive nature annoyed Rachel and in turn, she started an argument.

The first argument in their nine month relationship.

After Rachel had slammed the door of her girlfriend's apartment and walked away, she didn't have any idea where to go. Considering people have called her a diva in the past, dramatic storm offs have never been something she does often. Part of her thought about going to Brittany's apartment but she decided against it, she hadn't met Brittany's fiancée yet and didn't think that was the right time to meet her. She needed some form of relief; she needed something that would make her stop thinking about how she should be celebrating her daddy's fifty-fifth birthday in Ohio with her dads.

Every year since she moved to New York, she would return home for her dads' birthdays and they would all celebrate with a family meal and a song around the piano. The year before his death, she had been too busy with work to make the trip. At the time she thought nothing of it, her daddy would have plenty more birthdays.

She never knew that that would be his last one.

That's one of the reasons she thinks she felt worse on October 26th than normal, because she should have made the effort to see him the previous year.

One wrong turn and she found herself in a bar, one that she would never normally frequent. She hovered by the door and observed her environment. The dance floor was filled with young people grinding against one another and raucous chatter floated through the air. She stood at the bar in an attempt to buy a drink but as people shoved past her and pushed her out of the way, she felt completely out of her comfort zone.

Her eyes briefly fell on a blonde woman standing at the other end of a bar, engaged in what looked like flirtatious banter.

Eventually she received a drink, once the people surrounding her dispersed and she headed towards a seat in the corner in the hope that she would be able to blend into the background; she had a habit of doing that. Until Glee club started getting recognition in high school, she had flown under the radar; she was the poster child for obscurity. Nobody really noticed the Jewish girl with the allegedly poor fashion sense.

In elementary school, middle school and the first year of high school, she perfected anonymity.

Despite the vibrating music which echoed around the bar, Rachel found herself coated in silence. A silence which turned out to be dangerous and she soon found out that Sophie was right. Being alone caused her to think about her daddy and sure enough, the tears started falling.

She'd never really given death much thought, all four of her grandparents died before she was born and she had been fortunate to not lose any family or friends until her daddy. Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman philosopher, said that 'the life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living' and although Rachel chooses to seek comfort in that quotation because as long as she continues to remember her daddy, he'll never be forgotten, the very choice can also be the cause of her tears.

By remembering him and the good times they shared, she in turns remembers his death.

It's a vicious circle which she can't escape from.

Through the masses of people, she saw a flash of blonde hair once more except that time the woman didn't seem as invested in the flirtatious banter as she had been previously.

Disappearing into the shadows of the bar seemed to be working; she sat there for under an hour before a rather boisterous young man approached her and sat down. He asked her if she wanted a drink and when she ignored him, he simply shifted his offer away from a drink and towards a dance. She admired his determination but she wasn't in the mood to entertain him for the night. After telling him in no uncertain terms that she had no interest in him and a brief analysis of his behaviour, stating that his cocky attitude and wannabe swagger was probably his way to disguise the fact that he's undercompensating in other more important areas, he lost interest.

After her eyes lingered on his trousers long enough to ensure he fully understood what she meant, he slunk back to his friends, ego sufficiently bruised.

It only took less than two minutes before she was approached by somebody else, this time it was Quinn, the very blonde she had been watching. Like with the previous man, Rachel rejected Quinn's offer for a drink before asking genuinely whether the blonde asked women if she could buy them drinks in the hope that it would result in sexual intercourse. Undeterred, Quinn had sat across from her and started a conversation.

The conversation soon spiralled out of control and Rachel found herself enjoying Quinn's company as well as the mediocre chat-up lines Quinn sent her way. Once she had found herself in the bar, her plan had been to have one drink. Brittany always told her during high school that liquor makes everything better, at least for a little while but after being thrown up by the very same girl who had advocated the benefits of alcohol, she decided to avoid the substance altogether.

But that night, she thought it might come in handy, just once.

She finally relented and allowed Quinn to buy her a drink and their conversation quickly continued, Rachel putting forward a false name rather than the truth before analysing the blonde. She had always had an ability to read somebody and Quinn was no exception. She could tell from Quinn's reactions, no matter how minute they were, that her description was an accurate one.

Surprisingly, the description didn't deter Quinn, if anything it amused her, but when Rachel's phone rang and she saw the name Sophie flash up on her called I.D., panic seeped through her body and the memory of her girlfriend came to the forefront of her mind.

There she was enjoying somebody else's company, knowing full well that Quinn wouldn't just be satisfied with a conversation. Knowing that Quinn was angling for something more to happen that night and Rachel wasn't pushing her away.

After her phone rang two more times, Quinn's curiosity got the better of her and the curiosity certainly killed the cat in this instance. Rachel shifted from enjoying Quinn's company to wanting the blonde to go away, mainly out of fear that she'd do something she'd regret.

Or something she wouldn't regret, that was the scarier thought.

Before she left, Quinn gave her a parting gift, an accurate description of what Rachel was like and it turned out Rachel wasn't the only one who an ability to read people. For some reason Rachel felt the need to correct Quinn about her relationship status, even though admitting she wasn't dating her high school sweetheart didn't change the fact that she _was_ dating somebody.

Once Quinn left, Rachel continued to order drinks, finding with each drink she drank, her confidence grew to the point where she shoved past people at the bar rather than let them push past her. Nobody disturbed her after she harshly told Quinn to leave her alone and even though she looked, she didn't find the blonde in the bar again. When she stumbled out of the bar, she had every intention of going back home but sometimes even the best laid plans go awry. Having not drank alcohol for years, it affected her more than she had anticipated it would but at least one good thing came from it.

Brittany had been right.

It had succeeded in making her feel better.

A question floated towards her laced in a husky tone and she saw Quinn resting against a wall, her right foot balancing on it and a cigarette dangling between two fingers on her left hand, she had looked the epitome of cool and trouble free. She stumbled over to her, revelling in the blonde's touch as Quinn wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.

Their conversation inside the bar had been laced with a disguised flirtatious tone but there was no hiding the flirtatious tone that filled the conversation they shared outside the bar. The alcohol had lowered her inhibitions and she soon found herself complimenting Quinn, giving the blonde the only push she really needed.

The gap between them that already seemed non-existent was closed ever so slightly by Quinn before Rachel closed it completely and before she knew it, her back was pressed against the wall and Quinn's body was flushed against her, the blonde's mouth working wonders over her.

Everything about the kiss had been wrong yet it felt so right at the same time.

In that moment and for the rest of the night, she didn't have a girlfriend; she wasn't in a committed relationship. Instead, she was anything Quinn wanted her to be.

When Quinn had husked for her to go back to her apartment, Rachel found herself nodding and the cab ride there seemed to be over before it had even begun. Before Quinn, Rachel had only slept with two people, Finn, her first boyfriend and Sophie. Quinn was most certainly right when she stated that Rachel was inexperienced when it came to sex.

Undoubtedly more inexperienced than Quinn has ever been.

Hands flew everywhere once they entered the safe haven of Quinn's apartment and she can remember the sound of something smashing as it hit the floor but at the time neither woman cared.

Neither woman had eyes for anything else that night except for each other.

When Quinn had pulled away to make sure it was what Rachel wanted, that she didn't just want to leave, Rachel felt something stir in the pit of her stomach.

Her heart had soared with adoration at Quinn's words. She never expected somebody who was obviously so prone to one-night stands to care that much about the other person's feelings.

Sexual intercourse with Finn never lasted very long, he didn't have the stamina for it and she was often left unsatisfied but she dealt with it because she was in love with him and after spending years admiring him from afar, she didn't want to lose him after finally getting him.

Sexual intercourse with Sophie was different; the auburn-haired woman took her time and made sure to cherish every part of Rachel's body, whispering how beautiful she was over and over again. Something which Rachel always appreciated because the reassurance calmed her nerves.

She never has had confidence in her body.

With Quinn, everything was rushed and rough, nothing like she was used to but she wanted to experience it over and over again. In that apartment, Rachel felt like she was losing her virginity all over again.

As the blonde stripped her of her clothes, the worries about her body resurfaced and she prayed that Quinn wouldn't compare her to everybody she's slept with because she would most certainly not feature in the top spot. When she had tried to cover up, Quinn had chortled and told her to stop it, told her not to be ridiculous.

Quinn whispered words like 'sexy' and 'fucking hot' into her ear rather than beautiful but for some reason, she felt more reassured with those words. Perhaps because it was a one-night stand and those words were appropriate for the situation.

Beautiful is a word that should be uttered by a partner.

Somebody that loves you not somebody who just wants sex.

Even though she isn't a fan of coarse language, somehow listening to obscenities fall from Quinn's lips turned her on. The words sounded perfect in her husky voice and Rachel hoped she would continue to spout profanities.

The feeling of losing her virginity resurfaced when she started laying kisses down the blonde's stomach. Everything felt so incredibly new yet astonishingly familiar at the same time. Quinn's breathy moans spurred her on and she doesn't think she's ever seen a more perfect sight than the one of the blonde thrashing about on her bed with pleasure.

Afterwards, she didn't know what the protocol was. She'd never had a one-night stand before, never even dreamed of having one so she wasn't sure whether she was supposed to leave or stay. Quinn answered her unasked question by kissing her tenderly, a start contrast from the roughness of her actions moments earlier, and telling her to go to sleep.

Rachel rolled onto her back whilst Quinn turned onto her side and suddenly, it didn't matter that they were sharing the same bed because a space had appeared between them. For the first time that night, Rachel felt uncomfortable.

She's always liked the comfort of cuddling after intercourse, the comfort of having somebody else to share the moment with but when Quinn fell straight asleep, Rachel felt dirty.

She had cheated on her girlfriend but the worst part was that she had enjoyed it. She had enjoyed a liaison with somebody who couldn't be classed as anything but a stranger. The guilt flooded over her as she lay wrapped in somebody else's bed sheets, the memory of what they'd just done hanging in the air. Rachel observed Quinn silently for several seconds, listening to her snore softly, oblivious to the inner turmoil Rachel was having and before she knew it, Rachel was dressed once more and leaving the apartment as quietly as she could.

That night she had walked the nearby streets contemplating her actions before hailing a cab and it was her girlfriend's address which fell from her lips rather than her own. The cab came to a halt outside Sophie's building a short time later and the guilt which lingered in her stomach suddenly intensified and her legs froze.

She couldn't face her girlfriend still tipsy and with another woman's perfume hovering over her. She apologised to the driver before giving him her own address.

As she lay in her own bed, thankful that Kurt hadn't heard her come in at two a.m., her liaison with Quinn played over and over again in her mind. A movie that never ended, it just kept replaying on a loop. Every time she closed her eyes, she would picture Quinn's face as Rachel curled her fingers, deliciously hitting that spot that sent the blonde wild.

Overcome by guilt and disappointment in herself, Rachel cried herself that night for the first time since she was thirteen.

To this day, she still hasn't decided if the guilt was due more to cheating or from enjoying it.

* * *

As she rolls over in bed, she casts a gaze at Sophie sleeping peacefully beside her. She's envious of her girlfriend right now, blissfully ignorant in her dreams whilst she lies awake, her mind plagued with thoughts about Quinn.

When she told Quinn she regretted their kiss and asked if they could pretend it never happened, she expected the blonde to put up some sort of fight. She didn't expect the blonde to meet her demands immediately, without even attempting to change her mind.

One minute Rachel feels as if Quinn really likes her and really wants to be with her but when she told her nothing else was going to happen and Quinn didn't show much emotion, she can't help but think everything that's happening between them is just a game to the blonde.

She can remember Sophie warning her about her best friend, the advice had been said with humour but Rachel had detected an underlying serious tone.

Maybe Sophie had been right, maybe the lines between flirting and crossing a line are blurred for Quinn and that's how she likes them.

Before the kiss, she knew she'd started looking at Quinn differently, less as a friend and more as a romantic interest but she had chosen to suppress those feelings because she's in a committed relationship. One thing she has never wanted to do is hurt Sophie but every time she sees or speaks to the blonde, Quinn is amazingly sweet and it causes Rachel's heart to swell with adoration. After auditioning for Broadway, something Quinn had organised, she couldn't suppress her feelings anymore.

She didn't want to.

She needed to show Quinn how much she appreciated the gesture.

They say you regret the things you didn't do rather than the things you did do but what if it's a mixture of both? Rachel regrets the kiss because it was cheating but if she hadn't kissed Quinn, she thinks she'd have regretted that too.

When she was a child, her fathers told her that cheaters never prosper. At the time, they were advocating honesty in board games. During a game of Chutes and Ladders, she had moved her token an extra two spaces in order to land on a ladder rather than a chute. Her fathers had gently admonished her before telling her cheaters never prosper and moving her token to its rightful space.

She didn't cheat again during the game and ended up winning, a feat that proved her fathers' point.

That same statement can extend, not only to cheating in academic activities or sports, but also to cheating in relationships.

By cheating on Sophie, she's only going to end up hurting her girlfriend and there's a high possibility that Quinn could become hurt. For all she knows, she might have hurt Quinn already.

When she dated Finn, she never had to deal with this problem. Her eyes never wandered during their two year relationship, not that it would have mattered if they did, nobody ever looked at her in a romantic sense before the quarterback. Instead it was Finn who received romantic attention. During high school, she watched as cheerleaders flirted with him after football games and complimented him on his athletic ability.

She always thought that one day he would break up with her for somebody prettier, somebody sexier but that day never came. Girls flirted with him but he would only ever flirt with Rachel.

Not that he could really flirt but Rachel cherished his feeble attempts.

She never expected it to be her who broke his heart.

Once she arrived in New York, they tried a long-distance relationship but after a couple of months, they realised their relationship just wasn't working anymore. Finn had started work in his step-father's tyre shop whilst also helping with the Glee club at their old school and Rachel spent all her time at NYADA. In the first three months, they only saw each other once and rather than spend time re-connecting, they had argued. Rachel knew that a break up would hurt them both but it was what needed to happen.

It's ironic how she spent their two year relationship worrying that he would inevitably end their relationship when in fact; it was her who uttered the fatal words 'we should break up'.

After Finn, she threw herself into NYADA and aimed to be on Broadway by the time she was 25, if not sooner. She didn't think about relationships and it was only when one of her friends, Brody Weston kissed her that she let herself contemplate starting a new one. Since her first week at NYADA, he had made his interest in her pretty clear but he never attempted anything because her heart lay with Finn, even after their break up. She never saw him as anything other than a friend but at the start of senior year, things changed.

They engaged in a tentative relationship for less than a month, never venturing further than heated kisses because Rachel wasn't in love with him. She may be old-fashioned but she believes that you should only engage in sexual intercourse with somebody you love.

She scoffs quietly at her own hypocrisy. She didn't love Quinn but she had slept with her within a couple of hours of meeting. She can hardly stick to her old-fashioned belief now.

It had been a cold January day when she first met Sophie. She had been walking through Central Park when her eyes fell on a woman sitting on a bench which would normally be sheltered by the oak tree beside it. Her hood was up to protect herself from the cold and although Rachel couldn't make out what the woman looked like, she could tell the woman was engrossed in a book.

For reasons she still doesn't understand, she found herself drawn to the stranger.

She has always been a firm believer that sexuality can be fluid. Never once has she stated that she is straight; she's always had an open mind. Before dating Sophie, she'd never dated a woman but she'd never been opposed to it. Sexuality can be different shades of grey and Rachel has always believed that it's the person not the gender that matters. She's shared a few kisses with Brittany, mainly during games of Spin the Bottle. She never imagined her first kiss with a girl would be with Brittany and she has to laugh that her first kiss had been with the girl who apparently turns into a stripper when drunk.

One of her traits that she's most proud of is her confidence. She's capable of performing in front of hundreds of people, she can perform spontaneously and never have to deal with nerves but when it comes to approaching men and women, her confidence disappears and she feels uncomfortable.

Completely lost in her thoughts about whether or not to approach the woman sat alone on the bench, Rachel had stopped paying attention to the ground and soon found herself falling backwards as she slipped on a patch of ice that had developed due to the icy January New York was currently enduring.

She landed hard on her bum and immediately flushed at the realisation that she had just fallen over in one of the busiest parks in New York. Some people walked past her, choosing to ignore the woman sat on the ground, some people stifled laughter whilst others simply stared at her. She was just about to stand up when an outstretched hand appeared in front of her. She accepted it gratefully, allowing the stranger to pull her up.

Once she was finally able to stand upright again, chocolate eyes met blue ones and Sophie was staring at her with a soft smile on her face. She had asked if she was okay and whether she'd hurt herself and when Rachel replied yes to the first question and no to the second, they soon slipped into a comfortable conversation. After talking to her for several minutes, Rachel sent a quick glance in the direction of the bench but the stranger who had momentarily captured her attention had disappeared.

Since that day, Sophie hasn't changed. She's always the first one to help somebody and she's always there for Rachel. She's perfect in every single way and Rachel hates herself for cheating on her girlfriend.

She's not even sure what her relationship with Quinn is at the moment, is she just a challenge to the blonde or does the blonde genuinely like her?

Part of her wants to think of Quinn as a bad friend that doesn't care about people's feelings because then it would be easier to stop thinking about her but somehow she highly doubts that true in the slightest.

She casts another glance in Sophie's direction and her heart swells with love. There's no doubt that she loves Sophie but Quinn is causing her to doubt everything.

Not that she can put the entire blame on the blonde, it's her own fault as well.

Perhaps more than Quinn.

After all, she didn't have to kiss her.

If cheaters never prosper and she continues to cheat, she could end up losing somebody she loves, somebody who would do anything for her.

She's not in love with Quinn, she can't be. She's just blindly captivated by her.

This time when she scoffs, it's not due to her own hypocrisy rather her own denial.

That web of lies Rachel knew would appear is certainly expanding. Now, not only is she lying to her girlfriend, Quinn and her friends but also to herself.

She's lying to herself when she says she doesn't have feelings for Quinn. They may not be as deep as love but they're certainly there.

"What are you thinking about?" Sophie's voice is tinged with sleep and confusion as she speaks.

Rachel glances at her girlfriend, unaware that she'd woken her up. "Nothing."

Sophie yawns briefly. "I can practically hear the cogs turning in your head, what's wrong?"

She releases a heavy sigh before shaking her head. "I just can't sleep and I started to think about the day we first met."

Sophie sends a sleepy smile in her direction before her eyes flutter shut, the tiredness overwhelming. "I'm really glad Quinn suggested we meet at Central Park rather than her apartment otherwise we might never have met."

Rachel whips her head towards her girlfriend. "You were on your way to meet Quinn?"

Sophie nods her head against the pillow. "Yeah but we never actually met up because somebody slipped on the ice right in front of me and stole my heart."

Her girlfriend's response is mumbled and Rachel knows she's close to falling asleep. This evening when Rachel came round, Sophie had informed her that she'd had a long and exhausting day and all she wanted was to go to sleep before apologising that she was going to be poor company.

Rachel didn't mind because she didn't think she'd be much company either.

"Sophie?"

The lack of response coupled with the sound of Sophie's levelled breathing tells Rachel that her girlfriend has fallen asleep once more.

"You were meeting Quinn."

She breathes out the words quietly under her breath, trying to wrap her head around the revelation.

Surely that can't be a coincidence.

* * *

A/N 2: I've going to respond to the guest comments at the end of my chapters now because there's no reason why you shouldn't get a response.

Lealover – Me thinks you might be right :)

Chocolate Anon – No problem, if you take the time to review, the least I can do is reply. Please feel free to let me know if anything else I write isn't accurate and I'll do my best to change it :)

Guest – Thank you :)

Jock – Thank you :) I'm glad you'll keep reading as long as it's written well and I'm glad that you think it's well written. Quinn will be going with Karen for a bit but I will say that Faberry are going to do something behind Sophie's back although it's not going to turn into a full blown affair as that has never been my intention.

Anon – I love reading reader's comments and suggestions because I'm writing this story for people's enjoyment and if people want to see certain things, as long as it doesn't waver too far from my original plan, I'm more than willing to heed the suggestions. You're right; Karen is just a distraction at the moment. Yes, Rachel will be jealous but whether Quinn will see her jealousy is another matter. Thanks for reading :)

Alicja – As you'll have just read (hopefully), Rachel does acknowledge her own blame in this chapter a little bit. She will most definitely be jealous because up until now, Quinn's been showing her quite a lot of attention and with Karen in the picture, that attention might start dwindling. Trust me when I say that she will be happy by the end of the story, if not sooner.

Polux – Thank you :) She did meet Marley on the plane but in this story, Marley is straight. Sorry to disappoint but she might make another appearance in the story, would that be good enough?

K – Thank you :) Hope you continue to enjoy the story :)

Cass – I understand exactly what you're saying, Quinn is just using Karen as a distraction but trust me when I say that Karen will not get hurt in this situation. In fact, she's going to be important in the story but Quinn is not going to hurt her. I can't guarantee that Rachel won't be hurt by the re-introduction of Karen but it is a Faberry story so in the end, everything will work out for them. I can't make the same promises for Sophie however but it's impossible that she wouldn't be hurt.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: I'm aiming for one update a week now (two if I have the time). I was debating between updating this tonight or tomorrow but I'm going out tonight so I've just decided to upload it tonight. There's not much Faberry interaction in this but in the next chapter there will be. I might re-edit this chapter at some point because I'm not 100% happy with it but I wanted to give you something. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Chapter 15:**

She's never really been somebody who believed in fate, kismet or destiny. In a way, she believes in karma since doing good things and in turn, believing that good things will happen to you is a nice thing to believe in. She's always believed that life is what you make it, not a set of pre-determined decisions. You choose what to do with your life. There isn't a set path your life has to take, a path that you can't deviant from.

Movies like to use the premise of fate, destiny or kismet because it what the viewers crave, they crave that happy ending. People enjoy the thought that two people can be destined to be together, soul mates in other words, and no matter what happens, no matter how many people intervene, they'll always end up together.

She may not believe in the concepts but she does enjoy the cliché happy ending.

However, finding out that her girlfriend had been on her way to meet Quinn has thrown Rachel's beliefs into a loop.

Their story seems to have too many coincidences.

The probability of her one-night stand turning out to be her girlfriend's best friend was incredibly slim. Never in a million years would she have expected that to happen.

Yet it did.

Her mind constantly wanders back to that day in Central Park and how she had been captivated by a woman reading on a bench and now she can't stop wondering whether that was Quinn. Sophie never said where in Central Park she had planned to meet Quinn so it could have been her.

Then again, Central Park is one of the busiest parks in New York so it could have just as easily not been her.

She's not a gambling woman but due to the previous coincidences that have occurred, she would actually be willing to bet it had been Quinn.

If she hadn't slipped on the ice, she could have potentially met Quinn almost a year ago.

The thought alone creates a plethora of questions, would they be a couple? Would Rachel have still fallen in love with Sophie instead? Would Quinn have been ready to start a relationship?

The questions continue to stack up and with each one; Rachel finds the potential answer more and more frightening.

Rachel sends a small smile in her girlfriend's direction as Sophie places a mug of coffee in front of her before sitting down opposite her and eating a slice of toast.

"Are you sure you don't want something to eat?"

"I'm not very hungry," Rachel tells her and the answer appeases Sophie.

The first time Rachel ever stayed over at Sophie's apartment, she had been woken up with a very poor breakfast in bed. Her girlfriend had appeared flustered as she presented the breakfast which consisted of cold coffee and burnt toast but Rachel ate the toast and drank the coffee. The mistakes didn't matter to her. The only thing that mattered was that her girlfriend had made the effort to give her breakfast in bed.

Even if it didn't taste very nice, Rachel appreciated the romantic gesture.

Since that day, her breakfasts' have become increasingly tastier but in parallel, the frequency of breakfast in bed has diminished

The simplicity of everything right now is comforting. Sophie is happily munching away on her toast whilst Rachel sits cross-legged, her eyes haphazardly scanning the newspaper. Neither woman feels the need to speak; they're comfortable in the silence.

She wraps her hands around the mug of coffee, revelling in the warmth that seeps through.

She had hoped that after telling Quinn in no uncertain terms nothing would happen again and to forget about the kiss, that she would be able to do just that and she had made a feeble attempt at managing it. However, finding out that Quinn had been in Central Park the day she met Sophie has brought the blonde right back to the forefront of her mind.

When Sophie had kissed her good morning, the only thing Rachel could think of was how she couldn't detect the flavour of raspberries.

She blows absent-mindedly on her cup of coffee. "What are you doing today?"

Sophie brushes some of hair out of her eyes before swallowing her mouthful. "Quinn's niece, Lily, is seven today so she's having a birthday party."

She already knew Quinn's niece was called Lily but Sophie doesn't know that. Sophie is completely unaware that she has spent time with the young blonde. Even though she didn't do anything wrong the day she met Lily, she still chose to keep it a secret from Sophie.

Somehow everything she does with Quinn feels like it needs be a secret rendezvous as a result of how they met.

"Right."

Sophie looks up at her girlfriend. "I did tell you about it the other day."

Rachel tries to think back over their conversations the last couple of days but her mind is drawing a blank. "I guess I forgot."

"Are you still coming?"

"I didn't realise I was supposed to."

Sophie sighs lightly. "We had a conversation about this the other day, I asked you to come with me and you said you would. Have you forgotten everything about our conversation?"

She flinches before answering. "I'm sorry."

"Well, are you still coming?"

Rachel takes a sip of her coffee before answering. "Who's going?"

Sophie shrugs her shoulders. "I'm not completely sure. I mean obviously Quinn will be there, presumably Brittany and Santana will be there and I'm sure there's always a possibility that Karen may be there.

Her head whips up at the name. She can remember Brittany talking about a Karen at dinner the other month but why would she be at a seven year olds birthday party. It must be a different woman. "Karen?"

The auburn-haired woman bobs her head. "One of the dance teachers at Brittany's studio, she mentioned her a couple of months ago when she was trying to set Quinn up."

Maybe it's not a different woman.

"I remember who she is; I just don't really understand why she would be at Quinn's niece's birthday party."

Sophie eats the remaining bit of her toast before placing taking a sip of her coffee. "Quinn's going on a date with her after the party. She's probably not going to be there but she might turn up at some point to start their date early."

She remains stoic and ignores the jealously bubbling in her stomach. Instead, she takes a sip of her coffee and brings her gaze back to the newspaper. As she scans the words in front of her, she attempts to act as nonchalant as possible.

"They're going on a date?"

Sophie nods her head. "It's about time she started dating again, she hasn't had a relationship since Alison," her girlfriend explains before carrying her plate over to the sink. "I've always said it would be good for her to start dating properly again."

Rachel fiddles with her fingers with a quirked eyebrow. "Who's Alison?"

"Quinn's first girlfriend," Sophie replies before pointing at the mug in front of Rachel. "Are you done?" Rachel looks at her cup of coffee before shaking her head. "She was the most popular girl in school, everybody wanted to be with her, both boys and girls, she was the epitome of a high-school cliché."

"Sounds like you liked her."

Sophie bites down on her bottom lip. "I did, I loved her."

Rachel furrows her eyebrows. "But I thought you said she was Quinn's girlfriend."

"She was but I dated her first. She was my first love. During middle school and freshman year of high school, I had a crush on Alison and we started dating in junior year. I couldn't believe it when she asked me out because I've always been shy when it comes to girls, not like Quinn, she's always been confident. Our relationship only lasted five months because she didn't love me as much as I loved her." Sophie sniffs lightly at the memory. "Honestly, I'm not even sure she ever did love me."

"I'm sure she did."

Sophie sits back down before talking again. "Quinn gained a rapport in high school for sleeping around with most of the cheerios and weirdly enough the band chicks."

"Like rock chicks?"

"No, like chicks who played the tuba," Sophie confirms. "Sex was sex to Quinn, it didn't matter who the girl was. It still doesn't."

For some reason, that comment hurts Rachel.

"About two months after Ali and I broke up, I found out that she was dating Quinn."

"She dated your ex?"

"Like I said, it didn't matter who the girl was," Sophie replies, a clear trace of old bitterness in her voice. "Obviously my first thought was that they'd been seeing each other behind my back but Quinn has always assured me that they didn't start anything until after we'd split," Sophie continues. "I'm not sure whether I believed her but it was easier not to question it, that way I wouldn't be as hurt, if that makes sense." Rachel bobs her head slowly. "Quinn told me she was in love with Alison, had been for about the same time I had been but I asked her out before Quinn could. If she'd have told me how she felt, I wouldn't have gone near Alison, granted I wouldn't have wanted her to go near Ali either but –"

"She should have told you."

Sophie stands from her seat again and heads over to the sink, pouring water into the bowl so that she can wash her plate from breakfast. Rachel knows it's a nervous habit for Sophie, when she's nervous, she needs to be busy. Clearly talking about this must be bringing back memories of her first love and that she guesses that's difficult.

Especially if the memories are stained with heartbreak.

"My heart broke when Alison broke up with me but it broke that little bit more, if that's possible, when I found out that the reason Alison didn't love me was because she was in love with Quinn, even if they weren't dating."

Rachel swallows nervously. She knew cheating on her girlfriend with her best friend was wrong, obviously but listening to Sophie tell her about her past relationship, Rachel feels even guiltier.

History is almost repeating itself.

She now understands why there was a serious undercurrent to her girlfriend's voice when she had warned her about Quinn, Quinn's already dated somebody Sophie loved.

Even if they weren't together, Quinn still knew how Sophie felt, how heart-broken her friend was.

"Soph –"

"Deep down I was mad at Alison for practically stringing me along, I mean it would have been kinder to tell me she didn't have feelings for me straight away rather than continue to date me," Sophie tells her. "But I never took my anger out on her; instead I directed it towards Quinn. I always thought there was an unwritten rule between best friends regarding relationships; you don't have a relationship with your best friend's ex so when Quinn did that, I felt betrayed. In hindsight, we were broken up so I didn't have a right to be angry and upset but I was. I think the fact they kept it a secret from me for a month hurt me more. Once I find out, I said I didn't want to speak to Quinn and ended our friendship. We didn't speak for all of senior year."

"I never knew that," Rachel whispers. "What made you talk again?"

"Alison eventually ended up breaking Quinn's heart and no matter how mad I was with Quinn initially, I couldn't stand to see her heartbroken. She'll always be my best friend, even when I hate her."

"How?"

"Come again?"

"How did Alison break Quinn's heart?"

She had asked Quinn the question before but never received an answer and she has to admit she's curious. It's evident that Quinn's heart break is the reason she doesn't settle down and chooses to sleep with attached women so Rachel can't help but want to know what happened.

"Quinn told me that they agreed to break up because their relationship wasn't working anymore but I've never believed her. After the break-up she became incredibly reserved. Even her parents couldn't break her out of the state she became trapped in. I find it hard to believe that if it had been mutual, Quinn would have been as upset as she was.

"Why have you never asked her to tell you the truth?"

Sophie dries her hand with a dish cloth. "We all have things we don't talk about, things we prefer to keep to ourselves," Sophie explains and Rachel knows how true that statement is. "Quinn obviously doesn't want people to know the truth; I'm not going to push her on it. If she wants to tell me, eventually she will."

"Are you not curious?"

Her girlfriend shrugs. "At the time I was but it was ages ago Rae, Quinn and I patched things up years ago and Alison is now a thing of the past."

They've patched things up once, is it possible they'd be able to do it again if the truth about her and Quinn ever came out? Rachel sighs heavily; there are only so many times a person can be hurt by those they care about.

If the truth came out, it would be a perfect case of fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me for Sophie.

Rachel doesn't want to be the reason their friendship ends.

"Why are you so curious anyway?"

Rachel flinches suddenly. "I'm just making conversation."

Sophie doesn't question it anymore but her bottom lip is tugged between her teeth, a tell-tale sign that she has something on her mind.

Something she wants to talk about.

"The last thing I want to do is sound like a broken record but –"

"But?"

"Are you okay? I know at New Year you said you were having a difficult time because of your dad and that was perfectly understandable but I can't help but feel like you're still being weird with me. If I've done something to annoy you or something, you can tell me."

"You haven't done anything."

"But there is something wrong?"

"No."

Sophie throws the dishcloth next to the sink and crosses her arms. She and Rachel have only fought a couple of times in their relationship, mainly they've consisted of small snipes here and there but the night of Hiram's birthday, they had their first real argument.

Rachel had walked away from her for the first time in their relationship and ever since then, although they haven't argued, Sophie's not been able to shift this niggling feeling of doubt in the pit of her stomach that something isn't right.

"Then why can't you look at me?"

Rachel whips her head up to purposely look at her girlfriend. "I am looking at you and I'm telling you once more that nothing is wrong. Stop asking me that question."

"Maybe I will when you start giving me a proper answer."

"I have given you a proper answer, what do you want me to say?"

Sophie shrugs her shoulders and walks towards her girlfriend. "How about the truth?"

"I am telling you the truth."

Sophie bites down on her bottom lip, contemplating whether she should ask the question that's running through her mind. The morning after their argument, Sophie had asked Rachel where she went and Rachel had said Brittany's but Sophie isn't sure if Rachel had lied.

"Where did you go on Hiram's birthday?" Sophie asks. "After our argument."

Rachel furrows her brows. One minute they were having a conversation about Sophie's ex and now Sophie's interrogating her. "Brittany's, I told you."

Yet another lie she's sent her girlfriend's way.

The sad part is, it's only one of many.

"Nowhere else?"

"What are you getting at?"

Sophie stares at her for several more seconds before shaking her head. "Nothing, ignore me, talking about Alison has…just ignore me."

Rachel nods meekly and brushes some of her hair out of her eye, stilling nervously as Sophie's tilts her head to the side and frowns.

"What's wrong?"

"That's the charm bracelet you lost," Sophie replies, stepping forward and gently grasping Rachel's right wrist.

"Yeah," Rachel replies quietly. "It is."

"Where did you find it?"

Rachel swallows nervously; she can't say her apartment because Sophie had helped search the place from top to bottom, leaving no stone unturned so Sophie knows full well it wasn't there. She most certainly cannot say Quinn gave it to her after she lost it in her apartment because that would only lead to more questions, questions Rachel isn't prepared to answer.

"Brittany gave it to me," Rachel states quickly. "It turns out I left it there when I turned up unannounced and the clasp broke so I didn't even realise I'd lost it. She fixed the clasp as well because she knows how much it means to me."

She allows her eyes to flutter shut as she realises she might need to ask Brittany to lie for her as a result of her incessant lying. Once her eyes are open again, she doesn't even need to look at her girlfriend to know that Sophie doesn't buy her excuse, or at least has her doubts. "Brittany's such a lovely person."

"Yeah, she is."

She waits silently for Sophie to speak again but the other woman simply stares at the bracelet, her finger coming to rest on the charm Quinn bought. "That's new. Did Brittany buy you that too?"

"No, I bought it the other day. I realised that none of the charms were anything I'd bought myself so I wanted to change that," Rachel says with a roll of her eyes. The lies just keep building up. "Do you like it?"

Sophie continues to stare at the bracelet for several seconds longer and gives a slight nod of her head before blinking her attention away and running her fingers through her hair. Her face has somewhat relaxed and Rachel knows the questions are over.

"We should probably get going otherwise we're going to be late," she tells Rachel before pausing. "You are still coming right?" Rachel bobs her head quickly and relaxes herself when Sophie sends a small smile in her direction. "Great," Sophie says before brushing past her girlfriend in the direction of her bedroom.

* * *

She smiles somewhat awkwardly as she opens the door a little wider allowing Sophie and Rachel to enter.

"Hey Q, sorry we're a little late."

"Don't worry about it. You've not missed the cake so really you've not missed anything," Quinn tells her before glancing briefly at Rachel. "Hello."

Rachel smiles shyly. "Hi."

"Where is the birthday girl?" Sophie asks as Quinn closes the door behind them.

"She's playing in the living room with her friends, apparently my mom started an amazing game of musical statues and all the children are riveted."

Sophie holds her present in the air. "Is there somewhere to leave the presents or –"

"I'll take it," Quinn offers, taking the present out of Sophie's hand. "Santana and Brittany are in the garden, too many children for Santana's liking and far too much screaming."

"I'm surprised Brittany's not playing with the kids," Rachel chimes in causing both women to look at her. "She's always been great with kids and musical statues does involve a small level of dancing."

Quinn smiles. "She played the first round."

Rachel nods her head with a smile.

"Auntie Sophie," Lily shouts as she runs towards the auburn-haired woman from the living room. She's wearing a brand new dress her mom had bought her for her birthday and every time she's eaten so far, Quinn has noticed how much care she's taken so as not to spill anything on it. "You came."

Sophie kneels down to hug the young blonde. "Wouldn't miss your birthday for the world." When she breaks the embrace, she holds her hand out and she and Lily start performing their secret handshake. It's something that developed a couple of years ago and even though Quinn has asked, they've never told her how to do it.

It's their special bond.

Sophie has always been like a second sister to Frannie so she's been as much a part of Lily's life as Quinn.

Lily grins widely. "Hello Rachel."

Rachel waves shyly as Sophie stands up beside her. "Hi Lily, happy birthday."

Before the brunette can say anything else, Lily has wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist in order to give her a quick hug. "Did you get me a present?" She questions as she takes a step back.

"Lily," Quinn admonishes briefly. "Don't be rude."

"Quinn's holding it," Rachel replies before pointing to Sophie. "It's from both of us."

Lily turns around to face her auntie, a pout already gracing her lips but Quinn simply shakes her head. "You know the rules, you have to open them altogether later on," Quinn replies. It's Frannie's rule, Quinn would willingly give Lily the present right now if it wasn't for her sister. "I bet your friends are missing the birthday girl."

Lily nods, somewhat dejectedly before the sound of Judy's voice flows through the house saying another round of musical statues is starting and a smile soon graces the child's face before she dashes towards the living room.

"I didn't realise you knew Lily," Sophie says

Quinn's eyes widen as she realises Rachel mustn't have told Sophie about the day she, Rachel and Lily spent together before Christmas, the day they almost kissed underneath the mistletoe.

"Lily and I bumped into Rachel when we were Christmas shopping," Quinn explains before Rachel has a chance to speak. "We went to grab a bite to eat and when Rachel said she liked Lily's sweater, Lily found a brand new friend."

"You never told me that."

Rachel licks her lips subconsciously. "I was going to but it just slipped my mind. I became stressed about Christmas and Hanukkah presents and I completely forgot. I'm sorry."

Sophie furrows her eyebrows and chuckles before bumping her girlfriend's hip. "You don't need to apologise babe." Her hand reaches out for Rachel's and she entwines their finger slowly. "Do you want to go see Brittany and Santana?"

"Sure."

"See you in a bit Q."

Quinn bobs her head. "Yeah, see you in a bit."

* * *

They're standing a few inches apart, not talking to one another and Rachel has her arms crossed over her chest, protecting herself. Quinn takes a sip of her juice as she observes the couple who have barely spoke since they left Quinn at the front door. They both spoke to Santana and Brittany but now they're alone, there seems to be a surprising amount of tension hovering between the two of them.

Sophie says something briefly to her girlfriend before making her way over to Quinn. Quinn finishes her drink and places it on the table behind her in preparation for the conversation.

"I haven't seen you since New Year."

Quinn nods slowly. "Yeah, I know. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too. We should do something next week, just the two of us," Sophie suggests.

Quinn smiles widely. "I'd like that."

Ever since she met Rachel, her friendship with Sophie has suffered and she regrets it so much. She's always had such a close friendship with the other woman; it's the one thing she never wants to lose.

The auburn-haired woman falls into silence but Quinn can see that her lower lip is tugged between her teeth, a tell-tale sign that she has something on her mind. It's always been Sophie's tell. Quinn can remember Sophie coming round to her house one night to study and half way through, Quinn noticed that her friend was biting down on her bottom lip. That was the night Sophie told her that her parents were going through a rough patch and she was terrified that they were going to get a divorce.

They never did.

"What's wrong?"

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

Quinn spins around so she's facing her friend. "You're biting down on your bottom lip; it's what you do when something's wrong."

Sophie exhales heavily. "I think Rachel's keeping something from me."

Subconsciously she crosses her arms in protection. "Why do you think that?"

"I just…do you ever get the feeling that somebody isn't telling you everything?" Sophie questions. "Sometimes she seems closed off and she's never been like that before."

"Maybe she's just hormonal." Quinn rolls her eyes at her own suggestion.

"She lost this bracelet a couple of months ago and this morning I noticed it on her wrist," Sophie tells her. "She said she lost it in Brittany's apartment but –"

"But what?"

"I'm going to say something right now and I need you to tell me I'm being stupid and just paranoid."

"Okay."

Sophie exhales heavily. "You don't think there's somebody else, do you?"

Quinn gulps harshly. "No, of course not. She's devoted to you," Quinn says in an attempt to comfort her friend. "She loves you Sophie, you only need to look at her to see it."

It's not a lie, Quinn has seen the way Rachel looks at her girlfriend and she can see the love hidden behind Rachel's eyes.

"You're just being paranoid; she's not cheating on you Sophie."

If Sophie ever finds out the truth, Quinn is going to regret saying those words.

Sophie bobs her head and sips her drink. "Yeah," she says with a light laugh. "You're right."

After quashing Sophie's worries about Rachel seeing somebody else, she has succeeded in pushing the couple closer together. After Sophie left Quinn to re-join Rachel, the couple have shared laughter and several kisses and it's as if Sophie never had those worries in the first place.

She closes her eyes and exhales heavily. Rachel isn't her problem anymore. The brunette doesn't want anything else to happen between them and it's for the best. No matter what Quinn is feeling towards Rachel, calling it off is the best thing because then nobody gets hurt.

Now she can focus on Karen and try and forget about Rachel.

She's not expecting to fall into a relationship with Karen but for the first time in years, she's not opposed to the idea.

She's not going into their date with only one thing in mind.

She has Rachel to thank for that.

* * *

"You know, she might just be the loveliest girl I think I've ever met," Judy gushes as she starts clearing away the used wrapping paper.

Lily had finally been allowed to open her presents about half an hour ago and has since been playing with her new toys with all her friends before they leave.

"Who?"

"Rachel, Sophie's girlfriend," Judy confirms. "She's an absolute delight."

Quinn exhales heavily; is everybody trying to talk to her about Rachel today? First she had to quash Sophie's nerves and now she has to listen to her mom sing Rachel's praises.

"Why are you telling me?"

Judy shrugs her shoulders. "She's the kind of girl you need to be dating, a good girl who's well-mannered and goal-orientated. That kind of girl would do wonders for you."

"I'll bear it in mind."

"How are things with you darling?"

"You haven't called me darling since I was about fifteen."

"That's not answering the question," Judy states.

"It's a rather vague question mom and you've never been on for vagueness. How about you narrow the question down to what you really want to ask me?"

Judy smiles softly. "How are things with the person you like?"

"Non-existent."

"Really?" Her mom questions with a hint of surprise. "Last time we talked you said things were going well, you sounded like you really liked her."

Quinn glances briefly at Rachel who is in the middle of playing a game with Lily and some of her friends.

She looks perfect.

"I do really like her," Quinn breathes out before bringing her gaze back to her food before her mom works out who she was looking at. "She doesn't want anything to happen between us. She loves her girlfriend."

"If she really loved her girlfriend, she wouldn't have cheated in the first place."

"We all make mistakes, it's human nature."

"We're also supposed to learn from our mistakes," Judy continues, binning some empty paper plates. "What exactly has happened between the two of you since Christmas?"

"We kissed."

Judy sighs lightly. "There comes a time Quinnie when mistakes stop being mistakes. Cheating once, that can be classed as a mistake, cheating twice, it's not a mistake. It's something you want to happen."

"So what do you suggest?"

"Give her time, she'll realise it eventually."

As he mom heads towards the kitchen, Quinn casts another glance in Rachel's direction. "I doubt it."

* * *

A/N 2:

Lola3 – Thank you very much :) I hope that's given you the answer to what happened between Quinn and Sophie. Obviously, in a later chapter Quinn is going to give her side of the story so the chapter isn't closed on Alison just yet.

Elmoooooooo – As much as I want to reassure you, I can't. Sophie is eventually going to end up hurt but I plan to work everything out by the end of the story if that's any consideration. As far as a Faberry delay occurring, that's not likely so you don't need to worry about that. You'll see jealous Rachel in the next chapter, I was going to include her in this but I couldn't find a good point other than the small part in the beginning. Thank you :)

Lealover – Thank you :) I agree that Sophie doesn't deserve to be hurt but unfortunately, it's inevitable in this story.

Jazz – Thank you :) Wow, I really glad that you chose to give my story ago since you don't like cheating (I'm not a fan of cheating either and would never cheat but it is a good topic for a story) and I'm thrilled you like the way it's written. I'm always worried the slow progression might bore some people so I'm happy to hear it's not boring you :) I think I'm more of a Quinn fan as well and I understand what you're saying completely. It's really bittersweet but it will all work out. That friendship with Karen may just happen because enough people are already going to get hurt, without adding one more to the mix. You'll see jealous Rachel in the next chapter. Your heart won't hurt for too much longer (hopefully). Hope you continue to enjoy the story :)

Anon – I bet my ass that you're right :) Fate, destiny and kismet as I've chosen to call it in this story haha so you're right, call it anything you like. Thank you :)

Polux – If I write another story in which Quinn has a relationship, I'll contemplate using Marley as her significant other. Jealous Rachel will surface in the next chapter because I couldn't find a way to include it in this chapter that I liked. Thank you :), glad you're enjoying the story.

Jock – Chapter 14 will be the first and last narrative chapter so the rest will be dialogue based but I'm glad you still enjoyed the chapter :) Karen will be in the next chapter and Quinn will enjoy some complication free happiness be it in relationship terms or friendship terms.

Guest – I can tell you that Quinn was the stranger in the park (I think everybody's guessed that) and I can also tell you that Quinn hasn't set her eyes on Rachel all along.

Jade – It was fate indeed. I thought it would be a nice little twist. I'm sorry I'm breaking your heart but thanks for saying I'm a fantastic writer, I really appreciate that :)


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: I didn't intend to take the chapter this way, it just happened. However, I'm happy with it so I hope you all are too :) I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

**Chapter 16:**

The first date, if it can be classed as a date, she ever went on had been with a girl called Holly. Holly played the trumpet in the school band and Quinn developed a crush on her shortly after meeting her. Holly accepted the offer of a date and as a result Quinn had dinner with Holly and her parents one evening after school. When Quinn's mom picked her up, she kissed Holly on the cheek and said goodbye.

Well, they were only 10.

They never went on a second one.

When she dated Alison, they often went on dates, usually to restaurants or the movies but since they broke up, she hasn't actually been on a date and it's surprising how nervous she feels.

Whether that's because of who she's going on a date with or because she's not going on a date with the person she really wants.

Either way, the nerves are settling in the pit of her stomach.

She runs her fingers through her hair to try and give it a messy look before smoothing down her dress. She feels a little out of place in a dress, she doesn't normally dress up, saving dresses for formal occasions. She's much more comfortable in casual clothes but Brittany had told her to make the effort and as usual, she didn't bother arguing with the blonde.

As she leaves her bedroom she's greeted with a wolf whistle from Santana as the Latina rakes her eyes appreciatively over Quinn's tight fitting red dress.

"I take it that derogatory wolf whistle means you approve."

Santana smirks as she drapes her arm over the back of Quinn's couch. "I most certainly do, you're looking hot Q. You should definitely wear dresses more often."

"Careful Santana, what would Brittany say?" Quinn teases lightly.

Santana smirk simply widens. "She'd say the exact same."

"I'll take your advice on board."

"You're putting a lot of effort in considering I didn't even think you liked Karen."

"I never said I didn't like her."

"So you do?"

Quinn shrugs lightly. "I don't even know her S."

"So? That doesn't usually matter to you; I'm willing to bet that you can only remember enough names of people you've slept with to fill one hand."

"What can I say?" Quinn says with a smile. "I'm growing. And for your information, I do remember more names than just one hand."

"My bad," Santana says as she holds her hands up. "Two hands then."

Quinn chuckles as she heads to the mirror beside her front door and starts to apply raspberry chapstick. The icy cold weather is playing havoc with her lips, constantly leaving them dry and chapped. Through the mirror she watches Santana jump off the couch when she hears a knock at the door. Brittany had left to grab some pizza for the two of them whilst Quinn got ready for her date. Quinn had asked why they felt the need to spend the night in her apartment when she wasn't even going to be there but apparently they want all the juicy details when she gets back.

"Sorry I'm late, I started talking to Gio and completely forgot about ordering," Brittany says as she hands the pizza over to Santana who accepts it eagerly. "You look hot Q; you should wear dresses more often."

Santana smirks as she opens the pizza box, putting a slice of pizza on a plate. "I said the exact same thing Britt."

Brittany beams and gives her fiancée a kiss before taking a slice of pizza straight from the box. Santana has always had a thing where she has to eat pizza off a plate whereas Brittany just grabs a slice from the box and eats it.

She's tried to tell Santana that eating pizza her way results in less washing up but the Latina still insists on using a plate.

"Are you excited?"

Quinn turns to look at Brittany with a soft smile. "You could say that."

Brittany bites a mouthful of pizza. "You can't sleep with her tonight."

"Who said I was going to?"

Both Santana and Brittany release a burst of laughter and even Quinn has to smile at her own statement.

"It's what you do Quinn but you can't sleep with Karen, I'm forbidding it."

"Seriously, I hadn't even thought about it but just out of curiosity, why can't I?"

Brittany takes another bite of her pizza as Santana grabs another slice from the box for herself. "Karen's not like the rest of the women you sleep with, she's not just some late night hook-up, she's my friend so I'm asking you to be nice to her."

"I'm always nice."

"You know what I mean."

Quinn can see how serious Brittany is about this and it's not just said in jest. "I promise Brittany," Quinn tells her before running her fingers through her hair once more. "What pizza did you get?"

"Meat feast," Santana says with a mouthful of food.

Quinn feels her mouth water at the information, coupled with the scent of the pizza wafting through the air towards her. She heads towards the kitchen and looks hungrily at the pizza. Her hand reaches out to pinch a slice before Santana's hand smacks hers away.

"You're going out for dinner."

"Then you shouldn't have bought my favourite pizza and chose to eat it in my apartment," Quinn chastises but doesn't attempt to pinch a slice again. "I'm going to meet Karen," she informs them whilst shrugging on her coat. She turns to them both with a stern face. "House rule is the same as always, do not have sex in my bed," she says seriously because she knows what the couple are like.

They still have the libidos of teenagers.

"But anywhere else is fine?" Santana questions with just as much seriousness as Quinn's voice had held.

Quinn picks up a cushion from her couch and throws it towards her friend, smiling triumphantly when it hits her squarely in the face. Quickly she grabs her keys and leaves her apartment, hearing the cushion hit the door as soon as it's closed.

She's just leaving her apartment building when she bumps into somebody trying to enter. "Sorry," she says automatically, as she looks at the person she's bumped into. "What are you doing here?"

"I was coming to see you."

"I'm on my way out."

Rachel bobs her head as she allows her eyes to rake over Quinn's body, admiring silently the way the dress clings to her curves perfectly. Subconsciously her tongue darts out to lick her lips before she brings her eyes back up to meet hazel ones. "I can see that, you look –" The word beautiful catches in her throat. "Formal."

"Is that a compliment?"

"It's a statement."

Quinn chuckles lightly. "Why were you coming to see me?"

Rachel scuffs her feet against the sidewalk. "I wanted to thank you for what you said to Sophie this afternoon with regards to Lily," she explains quietly. "You didn't need to lie."

"I think that little white lie is the least of our problems," Quinn tells her before tilting her head to the side. "And you couldn't have said that by phone?"

"I didn't just want to tell you that."

Even though she'd quite like to stay and talk with Rachel, she has to go and meet Karen. Besides, she doesn't want to have a conversation with the woman in the blistering cold and she obviously can't invite Rachel up to her apartment since Brittany and Santana are up there.

"I'm supposed to meeting somebody so I can't really stay and chat," Quinn tells her as she tries to move past the brunette but Rachel simply steps in her way. "Rachel," she chastises softly.

"I just want to ask you a question and then I'll go."

Quinn exhales heavily, the longer she spends with Rachel, the harder it is to keep her hands to herself. "What is it?"

"Last night Sophie told me that on the day we met, she was on her way to meet you."

"I don't know what date that was."

"15th January," Rachel supplies.

Quinn shakes her head slowly but the look Rachel is sending her makes her pause to think. It had been over a year ago, how good a memory did Rachel think she had. She rubs her forehead as she thinks before realisation hits her and her hand stills.

"A couple of days earlier I'd had an interview for the New York Times and I was told I got the job that day," Quinn explains. "Sophie said we should celebrate and since Central Park was closer for us both than my apartment at the time, I suggested we met there."

"Did you take a book?"

Quinn frowns at Rachel, curiosity and confusion etched all over her face. "What? What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's important."

"Yeah I did," Quinn tells her as she remembers more about that day. "I started reading Great Expectations because Sophie wasn't there yet, she's always had a problem with punctuality. Except that day she never showed," Quinn states as she tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "She sent me a text saying something had come up and she couldn't make it," Quinn says slowly before scoffing quietly. "You were the something that came up."

"Yeah."

Quinn releases a short laugh. "So you were the adorable brunette who slipped on the ice."

"I guess," Rachel replies because even though it was obviously her, she finds herself blushing at the word adorable and doesn't want to sound arrogant.

"How ironic," Quinn says before fastening her coat. "I really need to get going, I'm going to be late," she tells the other woman before moving past her and this time Rachel doesn't step in her way. "Rachel –."

"Yes."

Quinn breathes out slowly before shaking her head. She wants to tell Rachel how she feels annoyed at herself that by insisting she and Sophie met in Central Park; she had unwittingly introduced Sophie and Rachel.

If it wasn't for her, the two women might never have met.

Her heart sinks at the tragic irony of the situation.

But she can't say that so instead she settles on some advice.

"Be careful walking home, it's icy out here."

* * *

She steps out of the cab at the requested meeting place and pays the cab driver before glancing at her watch. The conversation with Rachel added to the incredibly slow taxi driver had made her fifteen minutes late. When Karen had suggested meeting in a bar before going to grab something to eat, Quinn had easily agreed because she never says no to a drink but now as she stands outside the bar, she wishes they'd just gone for dinner. Karen had chosen to meet at Paddy's bar, the very same bar she first met Rachel in. Shrugging off her slight displeasure at the obvious unfortunate act of fate, she pushes open the door to the bar and walks in.

Karen's sitting at the bar with her back to Quinn, currently paying attention to her phone. As Quinn closes the door behind her, Karen looks over her shoulder and a smile crosses her face before a small amount of relief floods through her at the sight of Quinn.

She was getting worried she was being stood up.

"You came."

"Did you think I wouldn't?" Quinn asked with genuine curiosity before taking the available bar stool beside the British woman.

"I wasn't sure," Karen replies.

Quinn shrugs off her coat. "I'm sorry I'm late, something held me up."

Karen waves the apology off. "It's okay, do you want a drink?"

"I'll have a glass of white wine please," Quinn replies and Karen quickly catches the bartender's eye and orders two glasses of white wine. "You look nice," Quinn tells her as she takes in the dark-haired woman's appearance.

Karen smiles gratefully before raking her eyes over Quinn's dress. "So do you, although I think nice might be a slight understatement."

"Well I try," Quinn jokes playfully.

Karen chuckles before paying the bartender for the drinks. Quinn takes some money of out her bag as well but Karen places her hand over Quinn's, stilling the action. "It's my treat."

"I'll get the next ones."

"You know Brittany called me earlier, she wanted to give me tips for tonight; I think she really wants this date to go well."

The bartender places the glasses of wine on the bar in front of the women and Quinn immediately takes a sip. "She's engaged now; she wants to spread the romance. What were the tips?"

Karen trails the rim of her glass with her index finger. "She told me to be friendly and wear a skirt because you like skirts."

Quinn tilts her head to the side as she glances once more at Karen's attire.

She does like skirts.

"But the main tip she gave me was not to put out for you."

A short burst of laughter is emitted from Quinn. "She told you not to sleep with me?"

Karen nods slowly. "Not on the first date anyway. Do you often sleep with women on first dates or something?"

"I don't often have first dates so I can't really answer that question."

"Neither do I."

Quinn tilts her head to side once more. "You don't?"

Karen shakes her head. "When I first came to New York, I began a relationship and even though it ended about a year ago, I guess I'm a little worried about putting myself out there again because I don't want to end up heartbroken again." Karen removes her glasses so she can rub the lenses lightly. "I suppose a part of me is still hung up on my ex too," the British woman continues before grimacing. "I'm sorry; ex-partners aren't the best topic of conversation for the first date. In fact I'm pretty sure it's a first date don't."

"No, it's okay. I don't mind if you talk about your ex," Quinn replies because it's nice to know that she's not the only one who's hung up on somebody right now. She takes another sip of her drink before speaking again. "How long were you together?"

"Two years," Karen answers slowly. "What's your excuse for not having first dates?"

"Weirdly enough it's the same reason," Quinn tells her. "Except I'm not still hung up on my ex."

"But you are hung up on somebody?"

The words leave her mouth before she can stop them. "Somebody I can't have." Karen bobs her head before taking a sip of her wine. "This has turned into a strange conversation for a first date," Quinn says lightly. "Aren't they normally supposed to consist of questions to help get to know each other?"

"We have asked questions, they're just not the normal ones," Karen states before removing her glasses once more so she can rub her eyes and Quinn is struck yet again by how blue they are. She can remember thinking Karen had nice eyes the first time they met at Brittany's dance recital. "There's nothing normal about me Quinn, I'm quirky through and through."

Quinn chuckles softly. "I like that."

"Good."

"Do you want to know something funny?" Quinn asks and Karen nods her head. "Brittany made me promise that I wouldn't sleep with you, guess she told us the same thing."

"At least she's consistent."

Karen shifts slightly and her left hand comes to rest on Quinn's thigh. The blonde glances at the hand, tempted to cross her legs disrupting the contact but she leaves it be.

Karen tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "Do you want to grab another drink after this or just head straight to dinner?"

"I honestly don't mind."

"How about another drink and then we head off?" Karen suggests.

"How about we shake it up a bit?"

"What do you have in mind?"

Quinn rummages in her purse and pulls out ten dollars. "How do you feel about tequila?"

* * *

It's three hours later when the women stumble out of the restaurant, giggles erupting from the pair of them as they make their way down the street, arms linked tightly together, mainly to support one another.

The one more drink rule in the bar extended to another glass of wine and two more shots of tequila before they decided to head to the restaurant where they proceeded to order more wine. Normally, Quinn doesn't drink this much on a date, she likes to keep a clear head but Karen makes her feel at ease and comfortable and the British woman seems to like alcohol as much as she does.

"We should not have ordered that second bottle of wine," Karen states as they start walking down the street, even though she doesn't know where they're heading and she's not sure Quinn knows either.

"I think you'll find our mistake might have been the third bottle of wine."

Karen holds one finger up and nods. "You're right."

"I always am."

Quinn hadn't expected to enjoy this date with Karen but she's having a lot more fun than she's had in a while. She's not exactly sure when it happened but over the night, the dynamics between them have shifted.

Their evening together has changed from a date to friends catching up.

Instead of one person paying the bill, they each decided to pay for themselves but split the cost of the wine. Instead of holding hands whilst they walk, they're linking arms and instead of thinking about sleeping with the woman, Quinn's contemplating seeing her again.

Only this time as friends rather than a potential romantic interest.

She's never really had many female friends, Sophie, Santana and Brittany are the only ones that have ever played a major part in her life, even if she has enjoyed a relationship with Santana at one time. Normally she doesn't seek out friendships with girls and she's not even sure whether she can class Rachel as a friend right now because everything has become so complicated between the two of them.

It would be nice to add somebody else to her list of female friends and Quinn feels like Karen would be a perfect fit. They're surprisingly alike and Quinn enjoys her company.

She doesn't want to ruin a potentially good friendship by sleeping with her.

"Where are we going?" Karen asks, a lot louder than she probably intended. "Do you live around here?"

"Are you suggesting you want to come back to my place?" Quinn states with a quirked eyebrow. "You wouldn't be going against Brittany's advice now would you?"

Karen chuckles. "Don't take this the wrong way but I could do with a bed just for sleep, no extra-curricular activities."

"Extra-curricular activities?"

"I'm not having sex with you Quinn."

Quinn places her hand over her heart feigning hurt. "I'm heartbroken."

Karen laughs before bumping her hip against Quinn's. "Seriously though, where are we going?"

Quinn scans their environment before sticking her arm out to hail the passing cab. As it pulls over just a few metres in front of them Quinn pushes Karen in the direction of the car. "Back to my place, I have more liquor."

During the cab ride, Quinn attempts to send a text to Santana and Brittany telling them to leave her apartment. She may have made several mistakes but she's pretty sure the order was clear enough. Just as the cab pulls up outside Quinn's building, her phone beeps signalling a new text. She widens her eyes in an attempt to read the text before requesting Karen's glasses.

The dark-haired woman laughs before handing her glasses over and watches as Quinn put them on, squinting immediately.

"These don't work," Quinn complains as she hands them back to Karen.

"Is one of you going to pay me?" The annoyed voice of the driver wafts through the cab and Karen huffs in exasperation before handing over the fare, making sure he doesn't receive a tip.

Stepping out of the car, Quinn squints again at the text. The words appear jumbled and she can't make out the reply for the life of her. "What does this say?"

Karen takes the phone from Quinn and scans the message. "Gone home," Karen reads slowly. "You took too long. I'm pretty sure she's used a few swear words too but I can't really see."

Quinn huffs loudly before taking the phone back and throwing it into her bag. She links her arm with Karen's again as they enter the building before Karen starts pressing the elevator button repeatedly.

Quinn shakes her head and points to the stairs. "Broken."

The women start to climb the flights of stairs in order to get to her apartment and as they reach the final step, Karen trips up and Quinn wraps her arm instinctively around the other woman's waist to keep her steady.

"Somebody clearly can't handle their alcohol."

Karen laughs before shaking her head. "The stairs were in my way. What apartment is yours?"

"4B," Quinn tells her.

"In that case, I think you have a visitor."

Quinn frowns before following Karen's gaze to see Rachel standing outside her door, arms crossed, her face stoic as she stares at Quinn and Karen, her gaze dropping to the hand wrapped around Karen's waist.

If Quinn had been sober, she would have sworn that Rachel's eyes contained hurt but she's not sober.

Quinn clears her throat before starting to walk again, completely by-passing Rachel as she unlocks the door of her apartment. She pushes it open before turning to face Karen. "There's some vodka in one of the kitchen cabinets, help yourself and I'll be there in a second."

"Do you want me to leave so you two can be alone?"

Rachel mutters the word 'yes' under her breath, too quiet for Karen to hear but just loud enough for Quinn to hear. She frowns at the brunette before shaking her head. "No, I don't want you to leave; I'll only be a few seconds."

Karen doesn't bother arguing and heads towards the kitchen as Quinn closes the door behind her it's just her and Rachel in the corridor.

"Three times in one day, this really is a pleasure."

Rachel rolls her eyes. "You're drunk."

"And you're not."

"I'm going to go; I can't have a proper conversation with you if you're drunk."

"Actually you're more truthful when you're drunk," Quinn slurs as she stumbles forward ever so slightly. Rachel grabs Quinn by the waist to keep her steady and when Quinn looks up, her nose brushes again Rachel's. A drunken smile crosses her face. "Hello."

Rachel rolls her eyes once more and releases her hold on Quinn, waiting to make sure she's steady on her feet. "How much have you had to drink?"

Quinn starts counting on her fingers before shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm going home; I'll leave you to your date." Rachel's voice is filled with jealousy and since Quinn's drunk, she's not trying to mask it as much as she should. Her date with Karen is all Rachel has been able to think about since Sophie mentioned it to her this morning. When she visited Quinn earlier and noticed her attire, Quinn looked amazing but the knowledge that she had dressed that way for Karen made Rachel's stomach flip. She's also a little disappointment Quinn didn't tell her where she was going, as if she was trying to hide it from her.

Although why should she had told Rachel?

It's not like they're a couple.

Quinn doesn't need to tell her anything.

She starts to walk away from Quinn towards the stairs but a hand grasping her wrist gently, stops her immediately. She's reminded of their kiss the other week and with one touch; Quinn once again has control over her.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"It doesn't matter, I shouldn't have interrupted your date; evidently you had hopes for something more to happen."

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

Rachel shakes her head fervently. Even though her jealousy is obvious, she still can't bring herself to admit it. "Why would I be jealous?"

"Why wouldn't you be? I'm hot," Quinn states as she gestures to herself.

"And incredibly modest," Rachel says and despite herself, she smiles at the drunken blonde. Relief floods through her that Quinn is turning her jealously into a joke rather than dwell on it. "You never told me you were going on a date."

"I didn't want to."

"Why not?"

Quinn swallows nervously before leaning against the wall to keep her balance. It's ironic how the last time she went to Paddy's Bar, it had been Rachel who was drunk and incredibly adorable at the same time as she watched on and now she's the one who's drunk whilst Rachel watches on.

"Why are you here?" Quinn asks quietly, avoiding Rachel's question completely.

"I wanted –" Rachel cuts herself off mid-sentence. "I wanted to see you," she admits shyly.

Quinn sends a drunken smile in the brunette's direction. "That's sweet."

Silence descends over the two women and Rachel watches as Quinn's eyes flutter shut before opening again. She bites down on her bottom lip before speaking. "Are you going to sleep with her?"

"Karen?"

Rachel scoffs. "Unless you have a hoard of women in your apartment, yes Karen."

"I'm not a hoarder," Quinn tells her seriously. "I don't like clutter."

Rachel doesn't crack a smile. "Are you?"

"Are you still sleeping with Sophie?"

The brunette flinches at the question. Truth is, she hasn't engaged in sexual intercourse with her girlfriend since before Hanukkah but she doesn't tell Quinn that. "She's my girlfriend."

Quinn scoffs. "I'm young, free and single," she shouts as she waves her hands in the air.

The door to 4A opens and a red haired woman stands in the doorway, hands on her hips. "Whatever's going on out here, can you maybe take it inside your apartment Quinn?"

"I'm really sorry we disturbed you," Rachel replies. "My friend is rather intoxicated and it appears to be a rather formidable challenge trying to talk to her at the moment but I'll ensure she keeps the noise down."

"Make sure you do," the red haired woman says in a rather irritated tone before slamming the door.

"Ignore her," Quinn spits as the noise from the slammed door reverberates around the corridor. "Last time she had a party, she never invited me so I can do what I like."

"Evidently."

Quinn tilts her head to the side and gives Rachel a lop-sided smile. "Why do you care what I do or who I may or may not sleep with?"

This time it's Rachel's turn to swallow nervously. "I don't," she says adamantly. "I just…I thought you were maturing from somebody who just has one-night stands."

"Who said anything about this just being a one-night stand?"

For the briefest of seconds, hurt flashes across Rachel's face before she collects herself. "I didn't think you did relationships."

"And I thought you weren't jealous," Quinn states proudly.

Rachel huffs and throws her arms up in the air before turning around. This conversation was going round in circles and there's only so many times she can deny being jealous when she actually is. "I'll leave you to your date."

This time when Quinn grabs her wrist, she doesn't just stop the brunette; instead she tugs her backwards. Rachel stumbles a little at the force Quinn used to pull her back and rests her hands against Quinn's shoulders to steady herself.

"What are you doing?"

Quinn doesn't answer; she simply leans forward and kisses Rachel. Rachel allows herself to respond for a second, the taste of raspberries is disguised by the smell of alcohol and at that realisation the kiss is over as Rachel pushes the blonde away from her.

"You can't do that Quinn."

Quinn pouts before burying her head in the crook of Rachel's neck and Rachel lets her because right now, it feels too good being this close with Quinn to step back. "I know but I can't help myself when I'm around you," Quinn mumbles into the other woman's neck. "I don't want to pretend our kiss never happened."

Rachel shudders momentarily at the feeling of Quinn's hot breath against her neck. She knows she should let the blonde go inside, preferably to bed alone, and go home herself but there's something about the sudden vulnerability lacing Quinn's voice that stops her.

"We have to."

"Why?"

"Because I have a girlfriend," Rachel states and she's well aware of how she's beginning to sound like a broken record. "Sophie, you're best friend."

Quinn places an open-mouthed kiss on Rachel's pulse point and Rachel could have sworn she heard Quinn mumble "I want you" against her neck. Quinn pulls away and rests against the wall once more.

"I should have met you first."

Rachel frowns. "What?"

"In Central Park, if I'd have been paying attention instead of reading my book, I could have met you before Sophie."

"How?"

Quinn's eyes flutter shut for a second before she forces them back open. "Because I would have helped you up rather than Sophie."

Rachel's heart starts beating that little bit faster at Quinn's statement. "You saw me fall?"

Quinn shakes her head and brushes her lips against Rachel's in the briefest of touches. "I wasn't paying attention but I wish I had been."

"You can't change the past."

The corner of Quinn's mouth tugs upwards. "Unless you have a delorian or a TARDIS."

Rachel laughs at Quinn's comment and she has to admit drunken Quinn is rather cute. She lets herself look at Quinn's outfit again and suddenly the memory that Karen is still waiting in Quinn's apartment comes back to her. Another surge of jealousy flows through her only this time it's intensified because Quinn never actually said she wasn't going to sleep with Karen.

"I need to go."

"Stay."

Rachel's face softens at the fragility of Quinn's voice. "You have company."

"You could join us?"

Rachel's eyes widen. "Is this your lewd way of suggesting we have a threesome?"

Quinn bursts into laughter, sliding down the wall as she loses her balance. "I don't want a threesome," Quinn tells Rachel in between laughs. "I would never share you."

She's not even sure whether Quinn realises what she's just said but Rachel's heart soars with adoration. She holds her hands out to help the other woman stand up and when Quinn places her hand in Rachel's, they both feel the spark.

Rachel wraps her arm around Quinn's waist before opening the door to the blonde's apartment. There's no immediate sign of Karen but on the coffee table is a bottle of vodka and two glasses. "Maybe you should go to bed rather than drink more."

"Alright mom."

"I'll leave you to it," Rachel says as she releases her hold on Quinn.

"I'll call you," Quinn offers.

"I have a feeling you're not going to remember this conversation in the morning."

Quinn leans forward and places a kiss on Rachel's cheek, lingering there longer than she should and the scent of alcohol is rather overpowering for Rachel. "I'll remember."

"There you are," Karen states as she returns from the bathroom. "I thought you'd passed out or something."

Quinn spins around to stare at her potential new friend. "No such luck I'm afraid," she glances at the vodka bottle before back to Karen. "Are you going to pour us some or not?"

Karen obliges and starts pouring the vodka into the glasses. "Should I pour three glasses?" She questions uneasily as she looks at Rachel who is glaring at her harshly.

"I don't drink," Rachel says automatically. "And I'm not staying. Goodbye Quinn."

Quinn taps her index finger against her lips, quietly signalling she wants a kiss from Rachel. Rachel can't believe how bold Quinn is being. She's acting like she's saying goodbye to her girlfriend and wants one more kiss before she goes. Rachel glances at Karen out of the corner of her eye but the dark-haired woman has her attention solely on ensuring she doesn't spill any vodka on the coffee table.

Quinn taps her lips again, this time more impatiently and even though she knows she shouldn't, Rachel steps forward and presses a chaste kiss on her lips before opening the front door and leaving the apartment.

As she walks down the stairs, she tells herself that the only reason she kissed Quinn was because the blonde wouldn't give up until she did but once again, she's only lying to herself.

* * *

A/N 2:

Jock – I completely understand what you're saying about how Rachel should have told the truth but months ago, she lied to Sophie about where she went the night of Hiram's birthday so telling the truth now would end up undoing all her lies so she's trapped in this web of lies that she's not going to be able to get out of until Sophie finds out. I'm glad you liked Rachel and Lily; I have a soft spot for Lily. She may have been a decent friend in the last chapter but overall, she's been pretty poor so it's a nice change. With regards to Judy, maybe she already knows ;)

Lealover – You will have to wait a little longer to find out how Alison broke her heart but probably not too long, I don't want to keep you all waiting. I hope I did well with Rachel's jealousy, I'm not sure whether I achieved it because I ended up being side-tracked by their conversation and lost the jealously aspect somewhat. I'm biased so I love Sophie so she will get a happy ending and Quinn may be a part of it, in some capacity?

Serena – I'm really happy you love the story :) I do like making things awkward and making things worse for Sophie, I love the angst. Don't worry; Faberry will always happen so you can feel for Sophie :)

ForgottenFreedom – Well hello :) I'm glad you removed the disguise of anon, now I know who you are :) I hope you've enjoyed my other stories. Thank you very much, I really appreciate you saying that. It's alright, you don't need to tell me every chapter, just hearing it once is enough to make my day :D It's no problem at all, thanks for taking the time to read and review :)

HelloPanda – I'll make sure Sophie has some sort of a happy ending so things will work out (ish) for her in the end. Thank you, I'm glad you'd enjoyed it :)

Jade – Thank you :) Well I'm hoping it will make it even more special when they finally decide to be together; I mean they made a little more progress in this chapter so they're getting there. They were always destined to meet each other; they just met each other at the wrong time. Haha I love that comment about Sophie :D I'm more than happy to give reviewers a personal reply, I actually love answering reviews :)

Anon – Wow, can I say firstly that I feel privileged you chose this story to leave your first review and thank you for doing that :) I've always felt that because of their situation, if I rushed things then it wouldn't seem really and I wouldn't be able to delve into their emotions and detail the characterisations as much so I'm glad you're enjoying the slow progress. As you'll have read in this chapter, she cares about her best friend and Rachel's wishes when she's sober :P When she's drunk, she can't pretend anymore that she's okay with the situation. Thank you very much :) With regards to how many chapters this will be, I'll give you the answer I've given to two other people. I actually have no idea; it could be 30, 40 or more. But not all of those chapters will be angsty (I think), Faberry will actually get together a lot sooner than chapter 40. Santana and Brittany's wedding is going to be a pivotal point in their relationship and that should be around 25 (maybe a little later). But I'm afraid I can't give you a definitive answer on how many chapters this will, so sorry about that.

Polux – Thank you :) I'm glad you're enjoying the story and I hoped you enjoyed the new update :)

Zoe – I can completely understand how you feel bad for Quinn but also thinks it serves her right because it does. She also defended her actions by telling herself that the partner was their problem rather than hers so that way she didn't feel bad but as Rachel told her, one day the partner will be her problem and now she's realised how true that is. Karma has sort of come back around and hit Quinn because now she wants the one girl she can't have. I would never condone cheating either. Quinn does want to fight for her, as you'll have seen in this chapter, she said she wants her and doesn't want to pretend the kiss happened but in order to fight for Rachel, she has to be willing to hurt her best friend and at the moment, although she wants Rachel, she doesn't want to hurt Sophie so she's trying to stay away but it's all going to prove frivolous in the end because Sophie will be hurt. But Quinn is trying, for the time being. Once the reveal happens, Quinn will fight for Rachel to ensure things will work out. Hopefully you didn't think I went overboard with jealous Rachel in this chapter, I kind of became side-tracked but I can tell you that Karen isn't going to be hurt and Rachel isn't going to be pushed too far so hopefully that helps :) As for the number of chapters, as I said to anon two reviews up, I haven't the foggiest idea haha. I know how the story is going to end but how many chapters are going to be between now and them, I couldn't say. If I had to estimate, it would probably be about 40 but I could end up writing more or less so I'm sorry about the lack of a definitive answer. Thanks for saying it's a good story, I do love angst so hopefully you'll stick with it because it's not all going to be angst (at least not between Quinn and Rachel). (That was a bit of a waffle haha, sorry about that).

Anon (2nd) – I think that might be one of my favourite comparisons for Quinn's lying so well done haha :) I just like piling things up for Sophie so that when she ends up being hurt, it's going to really break her heart. Maybe a bit of a compliment because it means she can act and a bit of an insult because she shouldn't be so good at lying. Hope you enjoyed Karen's presence and the impact it made on Rachel :)


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; the only one I own is Sophie.

A/N: This is a little later than planned, I had hoped to update it a couple of hours ago but I became waylaid so I've only quickly read through it. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Chapter 17:**

She's always been a fan of drinking; it's been a part of her life since she went to her first high school party at 16 and tasted one of Noah Puckerman's cocktails. A cocktail which later became infamous as its alcoholic content surpassed that of other drinks. To this day she's not even sure what he put in it, he would never reveal the secret but it was most certainly alcoholic and achieved its objective of getting you drunk.

As she's grown up, her taste in liquor has matured somewhat from haphazardly thrown together cocktails, with the exception of the shots of tequila last night.

She squeezes her eyes shut even tighter at the memory of tequila and tries to suppress the feeling of nausea which has suddenly made an appearance.

She rubs her head before attempting to open her eyes, hoping that the sudden brightness of her bedroom won't cause them to shut automatically. As she embraces the searing headache that is overcoming her, she remembers the one thing she doesn't like about drinking.

The lowered inhibitions, the higher level of confidence, the drunken laughter and drunken sex are all well and good but they don't make up for the hangovers she endures the morning after a heavy night of drinking.

She's always been susceptible to them. After her first high school party and one too many of Noah's cocktails, she had unpleasantly thrown up in Puck's back yard due to the fact that the bathroom was occupied at the time. Santana drove the pair of them back to her house since Quinn's parent would not have taken too kindly to the drunken state their daughter was in and Quinn spent the rest of the night in her friend's bathroom, never too far from the toilet.

Whilst she has always suffered from hangovers, Santana seems to be immune and therefore, the Latina revels in Quinn's suffering, taking joy in every hangover she's had. No matter how much Santana had to drink the night before, she can still wake up ready for anything and uses her early morning to throw an onslaught of teasing taunts in Quinn's direction.

Quinn doesn't think it's a coincidence that every time she has a hangover around Santana, the dark-haired woman decides to cook an impromptu fry up. Somehow the smell of greasy food always ends up wafting in Quinn's direction.

At least she's not here right now; she'd be relishing in Quinn's misery.

She summons up the courage to actually leave her bed and places her feet on the cold, wooden floorboards and for a moment, she contemplates just going back to bed. Deciding against it she stands and walks towards her bedroom door which is slightly ajar. The smell of coffee wafts in her direction mixed with the smell of toast.

Santana couldn't possibly be here could she?

Quinn frowns at the thought before her frown deepens as she notices her dressing gown which usually hangs on the back of her door is missing. She shrugs it off and heads towards the kitchen, the smell of coffee is only solidifying the fact that she is in desperate need of a strong black coffee right now.

She squints slightly as the sunlight streams into her apartment before running her fingers through her hair.

"Good morning sunshine."

Quinn whips her head around at the voice to see Karen resting against her kitchen counter, a slice of toast in her hand. Quinn emits a low chuckle; of course it wasn't going to be Santana in her apartment. Her eyes move from the piece of toast in Karen's hand to the steaming mug of coffee next to her. "I would say make yourself at home but it appears you already have."

Karen smirks and eats some of her toast. "I'm guessing you're not a morning person."

"I am a morning person, as long as it isn't the morning after drinking."

Karen nods. "Are you alright? You look quite pale," she points out, and Quinn can tell that the dark-haired woman is genuinely concerned for her. "You don't need to be sick do you?"

"As long as you don't make a fry up, I'll be fine."

"Good, because I cannot cope with vomit," Karen explains. "Besides, toast is about as far as my culinary skills stretch so I think you're safe."

As she glances at Karen, Quinn feels a flood of envy rush through her. The British woman is wide-eyed and awake and looks as good as she did the night before, there's not one hint of a hangover. She takes a seat on one of her kitchen stools on the other side of the counter from Karen. "Don't tell me you're one of those people."

"What people?"

"The people who never get hangovers, no matter how much they drink."

Karen shrugs. "I guess I'm just lucky."

"I hate you," Quinn mumbles before placing her head on the kitchen counter. "Since you've already taken the initiative to make yourself breakfast, make yourself useful and make me a black coffee please."

"No problem," Karen tells her and obliges automatically.

"You're wearing my robe."

Karen glances down at her attire, even though she knows she is wearing Quinn's robe. "I know. I'm sorry do you want it?" Quinn shakes her head against the counter. "When I woke up I was freezing and I just saw this, I didn't think you'd mind."

"I don't mind," she tells her. "So you came into my room, pinched my robe and I didn't even stir. Either you have a future in cat burglary or I was dead to the world."

"Toast?" Karen asks, placing a piece of bread into the toaster when Quinn bobs her head. "Technically, I sneaked out of your room and pinched your robe on the way. But you didn't stir once when I left bed so I think you were dead to the world. It's a shame; I think I'd make a good cat burglar."

Quinn raises her head slowly. "You were in my room?"

"Wow, is your memory a little foggy there Q?"

"Memory impairment is just one of my many glorious hangover side effects, alongside a painful headache and nausea," Quinn tells her sarcastically. "Speaking of which, there's some advil in that drawer there," she says, pointing to one of the drawers behind her. "Will you pass me them please."

Karen opens the drawer and pulls out the tablets, handing them to Quinn who immediately takes two and swallows them, washing them down with a sip of Karen's coffee. "Last night, did we…did we have sex?"

"Am I that unforgettable?" Karen says holding her hand against her chest. "I'm hurt."

Quinn's eyes widen, she had not meant for that to happen between them at all. She opens her mouth to speak again but Karen interrupts her with a burst of laughter. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Although should I be offended that the thought of us having sex caused you to worry that much?"

"No, not at all. I just –"

"I'm joking Quinn, relax."

Quinn smiles softly. "So we didn't have sex."

Karen shakes her head before smirking. "If we'd have sex, you would have remembered."

"So what exactly happened last night?"

Karen pours Quinn's coffee into a mug. "Sugar?" She asks but Quinn simply shakes her head, eagerly accepting the offered mug. "What do you remember?"

"I remember drinking," Quinn states as she recalls the previous night and as she allow the memories to run through her mind, Rachel constantly makes an appearance. She closes her eyes as she remembers kissing Rachel.

So much for trying to move on.

Her eyes snap open as she remembers something else. "Did we play strip poker?"

Karen chuckled. "A very poor attempt at the game yes. It took several hands for both of us to realise that neither of us knew how to play therefore the game was pointless."

"Was that all?"

The dark-haired woman bobs her head. "Pretty much. You told me to sleep in your bed rather than the spare bedroom because you were cold and needed the extra warmth."

Quinn flushes lightly. "That doesn't sound like me."

"What? You're not a softy deep down, I'm disappointed Quinn."

The toast pops up in the toaster and Karen grimaces slightly at the fact that it's burnt but Quinn tells her not to worry, she'll still eat it. "I'm sorry; I doubt that was how you wanted the date to end."

Karen shrugs her shoulders and places the toast on a plate before passing it to Quinn, pushing the butter closer to her if she wanted it. The blonde doesn't seem to bother about adding anything else and takes a bite of her toast. "I don't really know how you're feeling about the possibility of us right now but I don't really feel a spark with you."

"Okay."

"That being said, I really like you Quinn. I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship," she says, and Quinn immediately recognises the Casablanca quote. "I'm pretty sure you don't feel that spark with me either because you clearly want that brunette."

"What brunette?" Quinn asks lightly, trying to contain her facial expression.

"The one who was waiting outside your apartment last night when we came back," Karen clarifies. "Is she the person you're hung up on?"

Quinn exhales heavily, there's no point in lying to Karen, the other woman's figured it out. "Yeah."

"Isn't she the one who interrupted our conversation at the dance recital?"

"That's her."

"She's cute."

"That's one way to describe her," Quinn replies quietly. Personally, she'd choose beautiful but cute is appropriate as well.

"Why aren't you together?"

"She has a girlfriend," Quinn explains and a feeling of relief washes over her. This is the first time she's been able to talk about Rachel since they met. She obviously can't tell Sophie and even though Brittany and Santana are her friends and they'd support her, she knows they'd both be a little disappointed that Quinn is acting on her feelings. Even with her mom, she has to disguise the identity of who she's talking about.

Talking to somebody who doesn't know Sophie is like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

There are no secrets; she can be open and honest.

"Who happens to be a friend of mine," Quinn adds and pauses to gage Karen's reaction. The British woman doesn't even flinch.

"Love can be a bitch sometimes."

Quinn scoffs before shaking her head slowly. "I don't think it's love." Even as the words leave her mouth, Quinn doubts how truthful they are. "But I understand and appreciate the sentiment."

"If it's any consolation, I think she likes you too."

The blonde tilts her head, interest piqued at that comment. She's not blind, she knows that Rachel must feel something for her otherwise she wouldn't have kissed Quinn; she wouldn't have let Quinn kiss her last night but she's interested to know what Karen saw. "What makes you say that?"

"You mean aside from the obvious jealousy that was seeping out of her every pore at the sight of me? Seriously, she glared at me Quinn," Karen tells her with a smirk. "At the dance recital she didn't seem fond of me either and now I know why. Honestly, I only needed to see how she looked at you to realise that she has feelings for you."

"It doesn't really matter whether she does or not, it's not going to happen," Quinn replies.

"Why do you say that?"

"Her girlfriend," Quinn starts before cutting herself off. "She's a really close friend of mine, if anything substantial was to happen between us, I lose our friendship. Plus, Rachel, that's her name by the way, doesn't want to hurt her girlfriend any more than I do."

"Sometimes even the best intentions pave the way to hell," Karen states. "I understand that neither of you want to hurt anybody but honestly Quinn, why would she show up at your apartment at nearly 11 at night if she didn't want anything to do with you?"

"She wanted to talk."

"At 11 at night?"

Quinn sips her coffee. "Maybe she's a night owl."

Karen quirks her eyebrow at the ridiculous answer Quinn has just given her. "Seriously?"

"I don't know," Quinn replies feebly. "She told me nothing else would happen but…things keep happening and I don't know what to do."

"What's your head saying?"

"To stay away."

"And your heart?"

Quinn sighs at the cliché question but finds herself answering anyway. "The complete opposite."

"If her girlfriend is really your friend, surely she'll forgive you eventually. I mean, if Rachel's in love with somebody else, then if anything you're stopping your friend from throwing herself into a relationship that is completely one-sided. Being cheated on is terrible," Karen says. "It's a horrendous thing and I wouldn't wish it on anyone but being in a relationship when your partner wants somebody else but is staying with you hurts even more because at the end of the day, you know you're not the person they should be with. The person they want to be. You're second-best."

Quinn tilts her head again and observes the other woman curiously. "Are you speaking from experience?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Karen says lightly before grasping a box of eggs in her hand. "Now, do you want me to make you my infamous hangover remedy? It's certain to do the trick."

Quinn smiles widely. "Why not."

* * *

She sits down on Sophie's couch and scans her friend's apartment. It's been the first time she's been in the apartment since the dinner party and even though nothing structurally has changed, everything feels different.

When Sophie first moved into this apartment, Quinn had preferred it to her own and had in turn chosen to spend a large proportion of her time at her friend's place. They'd painted Sophie's bedroom together and Quinn had given her input in the wallpaper for the living room. Before Rachel entered the picture, Sophie's apartment felt like a second home to her, maybe even more of a home than her own apartment but now, sitting in Sophie's apartments fills her with utter guilt rather than happiness.

It doesn't feel like a second home anymore.

Not only have her feelings changed but scattered around Sophie's apartment are little things that do not belong to her.

Rachel's things.

Like how her sweater, the one that she had worn when they kissed in the theatre, rests on the back of one of the dining room chairs. Or the packet of vegan cookies beside the fridge. There's also a fresh bouquet of flowers sitting proudly on the coffee table and Quinn can only imagine Rachel has bought them for her girlfriend.

The thought causes her to feel jealous and weirdly amused. She didn't have Rachel down as the type of woman to buy flowers; she seemed more like the person who received them.

She clears her throat before taking a sip of her wine. Luckily Karen's hangover cure, no matter how disgusting it had looked and tasted, had worked and any remnants of a hangover disappeared hours ago. Sharing a bottle of wine has always sort of been hers and Sophie's thing. They would share a bottle of wine and gossip about their respective work colleagues, telling each other details about people the other didn't know but still found to be delicious titbits.

"You've been here for half an hour and I've not even asked yet," Sophie says as she sits on her feet on the couch next to Quinn. "How did your date with Karen go? I was actually going to pop round this morning but I didn't want to disturb the two of you."

Quinn chuckles. "If you had popped round you would have met her."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Sophie says lightly, she grew accustomed to her friend's one-night stands a long time ago.

"I'll have you know that nothing happened between us."

"Really?"

"You could try to sound a little less surprised."

"Sorry," Sophie says before speaking again. "Really?" This time, her voice doesn't contain any surprise and it causes Quinn to laugh.

"Aside from probably drinking too much, I was the perfect gentlewoman," Quinn boasts proudly.

"Are you seeing her again?"

Quinn bobs her head. "Only as friends though."

Sophie looks sad for a moment before collecting herself. "How come?"

"The date went really well, we had a great time and she can drink as well as me which I like but everything about the date felt more like friends catching up rather the start to a potential relationship. She feels the same so it's a mutual decision but I really like her, I think we're going to be quite good friends."

"She best not replace me," Sophie says seriously.

Quinn smiles sincerely at her friend. "You'll always be my best friend Soph, no matter what." She tries to convey how much she means those words because if Sophie ever finds out about her and Rachel or if she decides to follow her heart, she needs Sophie to know that in her eyes, she is still her best friend.

Even though Quinn's being a shit best friend to her.

"It's a shame there's no possible romance," Sophie says. "I want you to have somebody Quinn."

"I will," Quinn replies and the thought of Rachel immediately enters her mind. "One day."

Sophie beams at her friend before topping up both their wine glasses and Quinn turns her head to the front door at the sound of a key turning in the lock. The door opens slowly and Rachel walks in holding a bag of groceries in her left hand, her right hand struggling to remove the key from the lock. Quinn makes to stand to help her but Sophie beats her to it. The auburn-haired woman takes the bag of groceries from her girlfriend before giving her a light kiss as Quinn settles back onto the couch.

"Is there supposed to be an Armageddon or something?" Rachel questions as she closes the door behind her, oblivious to Quinn's presence. "Everybody was going crazy in the store; people seemed to buying things in bulk."

"I have no idea," Sophie tells her before looking over at Quinn. "Q, do you want something to eat?"

Rachel spins around at the mention of Quinn and a soft smile fills her face at the sight of the blonde on the couch. "I'm sorry," she says, whether it's to Sophie or Quinn she's not sure. "I didn't realise you had company."

This time Quinn stands up and heads towards where Sophie and Rachel are standing. "It's okay, you're not interrupting anything."

"Good to know you enjoy my company that much," Sophie jests playfully. "Do you want something to eat though?"

"I'm okay thanks."

Sophie nods. "Rach?"

Rachel shakes her head. "I'll let you two get back to whatever it was you were doing, I don't want to intrude."

"You're not."

Both Quinn and Sophie say it at the same time and whilst Sophie chuckles, Quinn flushes. "See babe, it's fine."

Quinn watches as Rachel swallows nervously. "I guess I don't really have a choice," Rachel says lightly. "Excuse me," she says before heading towards Sophie's bedroom.

Quinn watches her go, her eyes momentarily dropping to Rachel's ass before she collects herself and spins back around to look at Sophie. Sophie's eyebrow is quirked at her but the other woman quickly drops it and a smile fills her face. "You don't mind if she stays do you? I know you said she wasn't intruding but I know you wanted to catch up."

"I don't mind Sophie."

"Great."

She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth as she watches Sophie put away the groceries. "She has her own key?"

"Of course she does," Sophie tells her. "We've been together over a year now; I gave her it a couple of months ago."

"Do you have a key for her place?"

Sophie nods her head. "I'm thinking the next step will be asking her to move in with me."

Quinn stiffens at her friend's statement. "Move in with you?"

"Do you think it's too soon?" Sophie asks and Quinn can detect the hint of worry which suddenly laces her voice.

Yes, she does think it's too soon but of course she doesn't say that.

"Are you sure it's the right time?" Quinn asks. "I mean just yesterday you were worried she was cheating on you and now you're thinking about moving in with her. It's a pretty big step."

"Will you keep your voice down; she's only in the other room," Sophie admonishes her softly before opening the fridge and placing the milk inside before closing the door. "I didn't say I was going to ask her right away, I just said it was the next step."

"Well do you still think she's cheating on you?" This time Quinn whispers because she doesn't want Rachel to hear this conversation any more than Sophie does.

"Yesterday –" Sophie begins before pausing. "I guess I was having a bad day yesterday and the mini argument with Rachel threw me so I wasn't thinking straight. You're right, she isn't cheating on me. I was just being paranoid."

Quinn nods her head slowly and sips her wine, waiting for Sophie to say something else.

"I thought about asking Brittany about the bracelet and whether Rachel really stayed there the night of her father's birthday."

The thought that Sophie is close to digging into Rachel's lies causes panic to wash over Quinn. If Sophie starts digging, she's going to find out the truth and she's going to be heartbroken. Even though Sophie has every right to be suspicious, Quinn can't have her friend finding out the truth.

"Why would you want to do that? If Rachel found out you didn't trust her –"

Sophie holds her hands up in surrender. "Whoa Q, I said I thought about it. I decided not to. No need to jump down my throat there."

Quinn mentally berates herself. She needs to keep a calmer persona when the topic of conversation is Rachel otherwise she might as well point a sign at herself stating she's the one Rachel's cheated with.

"How come?" She asks, this time as nonchalantly as she can manage.

"The foundation of a successful relationship is trust. If I start questioning what she tells me then when does it end? I'll end up questioning everything she says and if that happens, the relationship is over. You can't have a relationship if you don't have trust."

"So you do trust her?" Quinn asks slowly.

"Yeah I do," Sophie says. "What reason has she got to lie to me?" She asks before trailing her finger round the rim of her wine glass. "You don't know anything do you?"

"Why would I know something? I barely know Rachel."

Now that's a lie.

"I don't know, it's just –" Sophie starts before glancing in the direction of her bedroom. "Sometimes outsiders can have a better perspective on things than somebody in the relationship, you're not biased or blinded by love."

"Sorry Sophie, I don't know anything."

There's another lie.

They both turn their head at the sound of footsteps coming from Sophie's bedroom. "Did I miss anything interesting?"

"Not really," Sophie tells her before sending a smile her way.

Rachel returns the smile before fidgeting lightly on the spot. Throughout their year relationship, Sophie's apartment has always been like a second home to her, she's always felt comfortable here but now, the presence of Quinn is making her feel uncomfortable.

It makes her feel like she shouldn't be here.

Not because she's interrupting anything between Quinn and Sophie but because she doesn't deserve to be here with Sophie.

She doesn't deserve Sophie.

* * *

She scours the recipe book, flipping through the pages harshly and she wouldn't be surprised if she manages to rip one of them. Maybe the one she rips will be the recipe she makes. She needs some way of deciding what to cook.

Cooking has never been her forte, she much prefers eating to cooking.

Now looking at all these different recipes, she hasn't got a clue what to cook because she's pretty sure whatever she makes will turn out horrible.

That's what usually happens.

"You do know that I'm cooking tonight babe," Santana states as she drops a kiss on her fiancée's bare shoulder. "Not that I don't enjoy your cooking," she adds as an after-thought. "But since it's my parents coming to visit, I feel like I should be the one who cooks."

Brittany whirls around so she's facing Santana. "I thought it might be a nice surprise if I cooked, that way you're not doing as much."

Santana's heart warms at the declaration and she kisses the blonde briefly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"It's a really sweet idea but I've already bought all the ingredients," Santana tells her. "We can cook it together if you want?"

Brittany beams. "We haven't cooked together since we made those cupcakes for the kids in my dance school."

Santana's eyes glaze over with lust as she remembers the time Brittany is talking about. They had to make a second batch of cupcakes as the first batch somehow burnt to a crisp, nearly setting their kitchen on fire in the process. In Santana's defence, Brittany had wanted to bake wearing nothing but an apron, Santana's attention was always going to be on something else rather than the cupcakes.

"We haven't got time for that," Brittany scolds gently. "Your parents are coming in a couple of hours."

"Time for what?" Santana asks innocently.

"Sweet lady kisses."

"I never said anything."

Brittany tilts her head to the side. "You didn't have to, I can read you San. You started staring at me like you always do when you want sweet lady kisses and as much as I want them too, we need to cook."

Santana chuckles and steals one last kiss before grabbing the chicken from the fridge. "Will you dice some mushrooms for me please babe?"

Brittany nods and gives the mushrooms a rinse before starting to chop them. "Karen called me earlier."

"How did her date with Q go?"

"They didn't have sex."

"Q actually managed to restrain herself," Santana says, her voice laced with surprise and pride.

"She said they weren't going to have another date but they were going to be friends," Brittany tells her fiancée. "I don't think Quinn's going to be a sad panda for much longer either."

Santana pauses from cutting up the chicken breasts. "What makes you say that?"

"If Quinn doesn't want to be with Karen, it has to be because she likes somebody else. Karen's amazing; I don't understand how anybody wouldn't want to be with her."

Even though they're talking about Quinn, Santana stiffens. "You've not been with her have you?"

Brittany laughs and shakes her head. "Of course not, she's amazing and everything but I have you. I don't need anybody else."

"I meant before we met." She receives another shake of the head and her body relaxes. "Who does Quinn like?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Santana sighs because it was obvious. She had noticed the longing looks Quinn had sent in Rachel's direction when she thought nobody was looking and how flustered Quinn became when Santana had accused her of having feelings for the brunette.

"The hobbit."

Brittany pouts softly. "San."

"Sorry, Rachel."

Her pout turns into a smile and she nods her head. "I think Rachel likes Quinn too."

Santana tilts her head to the side. "I knew Q fancied her but I didn't know she actually had feelings for her. I didn't know Rachel felt the same either."

When she thought that all Quinn had was a crush, it was simple and something she could tease her friend for but to know that there are feelings involved makes everything more complicated.

"What about Sophie?"

Brittany shrugs her shoulders. "I don't think they'd do anything whilst Rachel was dating Sophie would they?" Brittany asks lightly. "That wouldn't be fair and Rachel isn't like that."

"Rachel may not be like that but you don't know Quinn as well as me."

"So you think they would?"

Santana tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. The chicken breast and mushrooms remain forgotten on their respective chopping boards as the couple stand in silence. She knows that Quinn has already dated the girl Sophie loved; she wouldn't be heartless enough to do it again.

She couldn't do it again.

"Babe?"

Santana turns to face her fiancée and sends her a comforting smile. "I honestly don't know," she tells her, even though she does know.

She knows very well because she knows Quinn.

* * *

A/N 2:

Me – Thanks for reading and reviewing :)

Jock – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad you liked that line; it was one of my favourites from the chapter. I'm sorry you're not going to be getting a relationship between Quinn and Karen but you will most definitely be getting a friendship between them and this way, you're right, Karen won't get hurt :) You will get happy Quinn soon enough haha :)

Serena – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) My face matches yours exactly when I read your review. Well that's good to know because that's not the last we'll see of jealous Rachel or drunken Quinn. I have a feeling you might be impatient for a little bit longer but hopefully it will be worth it in the end :)

Guest – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you, I'm really glad to hear that :)

If-I-Could Love – I can't PM you so I'll reply here. Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Yet more praise for drunken Quinn, I love this haha. Glad you enjoyed the chapter :)

Anon – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That is exactly right; she'll never be able to resist Quinn, who would be able to? Yeah, talking about exes is more interesting than talking about jobs etc. Hopefully you'll like their friendship because it's going to play a part in the story from now on :) Interesting that you mentioned how Rachel is becoming less deserving of Sophie because as you'll have just read, Rachel is realising that too. She will make up her mind but maybe it will be too late ;) Always happy to respond, I appreciate the reviews :)

Polux – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad to hear that, thank you very much :) Hopefully you'll enjoy jealous Rachel and drunken Quinn the next time they both show up (probably not at the same time). Thank you once again :)

Lealover – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm really happy how well drunken Quinn has gone down. Honestly, the thought of Sophie and Karen has never crossed but mind but it seems to have crossed a few of your minds :P

K – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much, hopefully you enjoyed the new chapter.

Zoe – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) As long as she can try to deny the feelings, things are completely real yet but soon enough she'll have to stop denying them. I'm glad you thought drunken Quinn was adorable :) No problem, I'm happy to do it because I really appreciate the reviews :)


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: Right, initially I didn't know where to take this chapter but I decided to include the Santana/Quinn conversation in this chapter rather than the next one as I told some people. After that, this chapter just spiralled in the complete opposite direction I had planned and the ending wasn't planned at all but I'm quite happy with it so I hope you all will be to. It's quite a long chapter so kudos for sticking with it until the end. If people don't like the ending, do not panic because I know exactly where I'm taking the story and this chapter is necessary :) I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

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**Chapter 18:**

She has their entire conversation planned in her head. She knows what she is going to say and she's pretty sure she can guess what is going to be said to her. That's the beauty of knowing somebody for over fifteen years; you know them sometimes better than they know themselves. After her conversation with Brittany about Quinn and Rachel, she had promised her fiancée that she wouldn't do anything stupid like confront Quinn about it but Santana knew the minute she made it, that it would be a promise she couldn't keep.

She needed to know what Quinn was playing at.

She needed an explanation.

Brittany looked disappointed in her when she told her she was heading to see Quinn but Santana will apologise to her later and hopefully Brittany will forgive her.

Brittany told her that it was none of their business and interfering was only going to make things worse because then the secret is becoming less of a secret and more public knowledge. Therefore somebody is more likely to be hurt.

Of course Brittany's right, she always is but Santana wouldn't be able to act the same way around Quinn until she discussed whatever is going on between her and Rachel.

If Brittany doesn't forgive her later, she's going to endure the silent treatment until her fiancée has decided to forgive her.

It would be all well and good to pretend that they don't know anything if they weren't seeing Quinn or Rachel anytime soon, or if Quinn wasn't her best friend but it's her wedding in two months and Quinn, Rachel and Sophie will all be in attendance.

Since she was a little girl, Brittany has wanted the big white wedding and Santana's determined to give her that with no distractions and nothing going wrong.

A suspicious love triangle doesn't exactly fit into that plan.

The door behind her opens as she looks over her shoulder as a red haired woman locks it behind her before heading towards the stairs. Running her fingers through her hair, she brings her attention back to Quinn's apartment and knocks sharply on the door.

"One second."

Quinn's voice floats through the door but Santana chooses to ignore her friend's request and bangs on the door again, harder this time.

"What the hell is your problem?" Quinn exclaims whilst she opens her front door. When her eyes fall on Santana, she frowns. "Where's the fire?" She jests lightly but the serious look on Santana's face causes her to frown deeper. "Is everything okay? Is it Brittany?"

"Brittany's fine," Santana deadpans. "We need to talk."

"And this talk required you to try and bang my door down?"

Santana scoffs and pushes past her friend because quite frankly she had grown tired of waiting for an invitation to come inside.

"Feel free to come in," Quinn mumbles under her breath quietly as she closes the door. "Seriously, what is wrong with you? What do we need to talk about?"

"You know, after Alison I really thought you'd have learnt your lesson."

"What are you talking about? What lesson?"

Santana turns to face Quinn and her face hardens ever so slightly. "I know about you and Rachel."

As soon as the words leave her mouth, Quinn pales. "What?" There's no possible way that Santana could know about her and Rachel, hell, her and Rachel doesn't even exist. Nobody ever met Elle so Santana can't have realised that Elle was in fact Rachel and their kiss had been in a vacant theatre so nobody saw.

She has to be bluffing.

Unless Rachel's told her but why would Rachel have told her?

Quinn rolls her eyes as she realises that Rachel wouldn't have told Santana, if she had told somebody, it would have been Brittany and everybody knows that Brittany and Santana don't keep secrets.

"I don't know what you're talking about, there is no me and Rachel."

"I knew that's what you'd say so why don't we just skip the part when you bother lying to me," Santana spits. "Don't forget, I know when you're lying."

"Santana –"

"What the fuck are you playing at?"

"I'm not playing at anything," Quinn replies firmly.

The Latina shakes her head. "Just tell me the truth," she requests softly. "You're my best friend; you're going to be my fucking maid of honour, you're supposed to be able to trust me enough to tell me anything, even the admission is going to be you're sleeping with Sophie's girlfriend."

"I'm not sleeping with Rachel."

"I've got all day to discuss this with you Quinn and if you want to continue lying, feel free but it's not going to change the fact that I already know about your sordid little secret."

Santana's face hardens that little bit more when she's finished speaking. In all honestly, the only thing she knows is that Quinn has feelings for Rachel and thanks to Brittany, that Rachel returns those feelings but Santana saw how her friend's face paled when she told her she knew so now she's fully aware that there is something more between Rachel and Quinn.

Whatever is happening between them doesn't stop at just hidden feelings.

If Quinn thinks that she already knows the truth, her defences have a tendency to crumble because she can't keep up the lies for too long.

Quinn swallows harshly at the glare being sent her way by her friend. Making people feel uneasy has always been one on Santana's talents and the glare mixed with the knowledge that Santana knows about her and Rachel is making her more nervous. She ducks her head and rubs the back of her neck before finding Santana's eyes once more. The Latina's gaze hasn't wavered in the slightest and Quinn exhales heavily.

"There –" Quinn starts before stopping. "It's –" She stops once more before closing her eyes. "It was just a kiss, that's all, there's no affair Santana."

The confession causes Santana to drop her glare and she tilts her head to the side. "A kiss?"

"Yeah, there's no need to sound so surprised, you did know after all," Quinn tells her. "Congratulations, you successfully made me feel uneasy."

"I knew you had feelings for Rachel but that's it."

Quinn's heart sinks as she realises that Santana lied to her and now she's just admitted to kissing Sophie's girlfriend.

"You bitch, you did that on purpose," she spits.

"I knew there was more to it than just feelings, I just needed to make you admit it," Santana tells her with a slight smug smile that annoys Quinn even more. "Now you've decided to be honest, I'll ask again, what the fuck are you playing at Q?"

"I'm not the only one at fault here."

"No but you're only the one in this room right now."

"Santana –"

"She's your best friend's girlfriend."

"Wow, thank you for reminding me about that. You know I completely forgot that Rachel is Sophie's girlfriend, why don't you remind me how much Sophie loves her and how Rachel is the one for her," Quinn states, her voice filled with anger. "Go on; give me a running commentary of my situation because clearly I don't already know."

"You know, I'm fully aware that you have loose morals and don't really care about the people you sleep with but I never pegged you as the person who didn't care about their best friend."

Quinn steps forward until she's only inches away from Santana. "Fuck you; you know I care about Sophie."

"Yeah because you're really showing that right now Quinn," Santana goads. "What, was stealing Alison from her not enough for you, you have to steal her current girlfriend as well."

"I never stole Alison from her, they were broken up when we started dating and you know that."

Santana laughs harshly. "And you waited all of a couple of minutes before swooping in and asking her to be your girlfriend instead. How very considerate of you to wait."

"It wasn't like that."

"You didn't even have the decency to wait until she stopped feeling heartbroken."

"Shut up."

"You didn't have the decency to talk to her about your feelings, instead you kept your relationship with Alison a dirty little secret and you have the audacity to say you care about Sophie.

Quinn's breathing becomes much heavier and she can feel anger bubbling up inside her. She hates that Santana is bringing up the past and tainting it to make her sound a horrible friend.

But what she hates even more than that is that Santana's right.

She was a horrible friend.

Santana's not making that up, she's only being honest.

"Shut up Santana."

"You know when you and Alison were acting as the most loved up couple in high school; I was the person Sophie turned to. I listened to her as she told me she hated you, as she told me that she didn't want to speak you again. Whenever you'd steal a kiss from Alison, I was the person who had to dry Sophie's tears because that was all she wanted with Alison. She wanted the girl she loved to love her back but you made that impossible."

"I didn't –"

"I'm not watching her go through that pain again and I'm especially not going to let you be the cause of her heartache for a second time," Santana shouts and it's the first time in years, Quinn's heard her shout. "You can say you care about Sophie until you're blue in the face but if you did, you wouldn't be chasing her girlfriend behind her back."

Quinn's face falls as Santana's words hit home. Maybe her friend is right; maybe she's lying to herself when she says she truly cares for Sophie. Surely if she did, she'd have been able to stay away from Rachel.

She shakes her head, upset that Santana is planting doubts in her mind. Of course she cares for Sophie; she's not chasing Rachel because she wants to hurt Sophie.

She's just incapable of staying away from her.

"What's next Quinn? Should I keep an eye on you whenever you're around Brittany in case you get bored of Rachel and decide you want a new challenge?"

It's happens before she can stop it. The palm of her hand connects with Santana's cheek in a hard, quick slap. Before she can even process her action, Santana's hand hits her own cheek in a slap that's much harder than the one she gave her.

Quinn rubs her cheek before walking towards her front door; she grabs the door handle and swings the door open. "I think you should go."

Santana shakes her head and throws herself on the couch. "If you think I'm leaving you can think again."

Quinn runs her tongue over her top teeth whilst breathing heavily. Knowing full well that Santana means what she says and isn't going to leave, Quinn slams the door shut.

As Quinn rests against the door, silence descends over the pair of them. Santana watches her intently from her seat on the couch whilst Quinn does her best to avoid her friend's gaze. After several minutes of enduring what is undeniably the most uncomfortable silence she's experienced for some time, she clears her throat.

"I would never try anything on with Brittany."

For the first time in a while, Santana drops her gaze from Quinn. "I know you wouldn't."

"Then why say it?" Quinn questions with genuine curiosity. "Is that really what you think of me? I made a mistake Santana, do you think I'm a slut who doesn't care about other people."

"You don't Quinn," Santana says, fiddling with her fingers, her cheek still slightly stinging from Quinn's slap. "Before you start arguing with me, remember that they're your words, not mine. You told me yourself that you sleep with women and you don't care if they're in a relationship or not."

"That doesn't apply when the person they're in a relationship with is my friend," Quinn bites back. "Despite what you think, I do care about my friends."

"So you do have some morals."

Quinn scoffs lightly. "I don't have to listen to this. You have no right to act high and mighty with me. Before you met Brittany, you were just as bad as me; in fact I'm pretty sure you were worse. At least I started dating somebody whilst you slept your way through the entire football team. Were you trying to beat a personal record?"

"Our situations were completely different. You sleep with women for the fun of it because you love the challenge; I did it because I didn't want to have to deal with being gay."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" Quinn questions with a tilt of her head. "Just for the record, nothing was different. Neither of us cared about who the other person was," Quinn informs her lightly. "Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that you're about to get married and that you've found somebody you really love but you're not allowed to lecture me about promiscuity when you were never really a Saint yourself. I think that's a bit of the pot calling the kettle black don't you?"

"I never stole my friend's girlfriend," Santana bites back. "Twice."

"I'm not stealing Sophie's girlfriend," Quinn shouts at her before running her fingers through her hair. "We've kissed once and that was it, it was a spur of the moment thing and it's not going to happen again."

"When?"

"What?"

Santana stands from the couch and opts to rest against the back of it so she can face Quinn but remain some distance from her. "When did you kiss her?"

"A couple of days after New Year," Quinn tells her because there's no point lying about that.

"That's interested because the two of you seemed rather cosy together before Christmas," Santana informs her. "At Central Park during It's a Wonderful Life, Britts and I were watching you from our car and you seemed like you knew each other pretty well."

Quinn shrugs her shoulders. "I met her at your Halloween party, the same as you. It's not my fault we clicked straight away."

The corner of Santana's mouth curls upwards in a knowing half-smirk. "You clicked right away yet at Sophie's dinner, you barely said two words to her and I caught you checking her out."

Quinn pushes herself off the door and heads towards Santana. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that I don't believe all that's happened between you and her is a one-off kiss in January because you two have been flitting around each other since before January. I saw the way you looked at her back in December Q, there's more to this story than you've told me."

"I've told you everything."

"You're lying," Santana says but her voice is slightly calmer now. She takes a step closer to her friend. "I know I went off on one earlier but I swear it won't happen again. Just tell me the truth Quinn."

Maybe it's because she knows Santana won't relent until Quinn confesses or maybe it's because it feels freeing to finally get it off her chest. Whatever the reason, the words fall out of her mouth before she can stop them.

"We've slept together."

The last word has just crossed her lip when Santana slaps her once more.

Quinn brings her hand up to cup her stinging cheek. "What the hell? You said you weren't going to go off on one again?"

Santana shrugs. "I'm not but you deserved that slap."

"It's not what you think."

"Really?" Santana raises her eyebrows. "Why don't you enlighten me as to how it's not what I think because right now, what I think is that you've just admitted to sleeping with Sophie's girlfriend behind her back?"

"Do you remember when Sophie mentioned my one-night stand with Elle?" Santana nods her head. "That was Rachel."

"What?"

Quinn rubs her eyes harshly. There's no going back anymore, she's already told Santana too much that she can't really stop. If she's honest, she doesn't really even want to because admitting what has been happening makes her feel like a weight has been lifted.

First she confided in Karen and now Santana.

Even though it feels freeing admitting everything, she knows that she might be making a crucial mistake.

"The first night I met Rachel, I didn't know who she was," Quinn explains. "She told me her name was Elle and one thing lead to another and we slept together. I only found out she was Sophie's girlfriend the night of your Halloween party. I swear Santana, I didn't know."

"But now you do and it's not stopping you."

"You have no idea Santana," Quinn says quietly. "I want to stay away from her and I'm trying so fucking hard not to go near her but I…I just can't. This isn't some game to me okay, Rachel isn't a challenge and I do care about Sophie. I don't want to feel this way S, I wish I didn't but I do and it's so hard."

"Quinn –"

"I know that Sophie is going to be heartbroken if she finds out and the thought of that is killing me," Quinn continues, ignoring Santana's attempt at an interjection. "After Alison I swore to myself that I would never do anything to hurt her again and yet here I am. No matter how hard I try to stay away from Rachel, I always end up giving in and seeing her. I can't help myself. Santana, when I thought she was Elle, I wanted to see her again. She was different than anybody else I'd ever met and I thought that maybe this girl wouldn't just be a one-night stand, maybe she'd be somebody I could actually have a relationship with. Then I find out she's Sophie's girlfriend and any thought of there being something more between us disappeared in an instant."

Santana watches as Quinn slides down the wall until she's sitting on the floor and buries her head in her hands. She's only ever seen Quinn like this once before and that had been to do with Alison. She may be mistaken but she's pretty sure that Quinn seems more upset over Rachel than she ever did over Alison.

"I didn't realise you cared that much for her."

Quinn raises her head from her hands. "I think I'm in love with her Santana."

Santana doesn't berate Quinn for that comment because she knows that Quinn doesn't fall for people easily. After Alison, it's almost as if Quinn put a guard up around herself that prevented people from getting close enough to her, making it impossible for her to fall for somebody.

If Brittany were here, she'd be sitting beside Quinn right now, her arms wrapped around her whispering that everything would be okay but Santana's not Brittany. She's never been somebody who displays emotion very well, even sometimes Brittany has to tell her hug somebody rather than feeling inclined to do it herself.

She also can't sit next to Quinn and tell her that everything's going to be okay but she doesn't believe for one second that it will be. If Quinn has fallen for Rachel, Sophie is going to be heartbroken yet again and that will be the end of Sophie and Quinn's friendship leaving Santana once again in the middle of her two best friends.

She's always been closer to Quinn but she can't just stand by and watch Sophie be hurt, knowing she could have stopped it.

The silence must have been unnerving for Quinn because she speaks again. "I don't know what to do Santana, tell me what to do." Her voice breaks as she speaks and it's the first time she's felt like crying in a long time.

She can't actually remember the last time she cried.

Santana swallows hard. "You have two choices."

"What?"

"If you really love her and don't get me wrong Quinn, I actually believe that you do have deep feelings for her, you have to tell Sophie."

Quinn laughs harshly. "That will go down so well. 'Hey Soph, I think I love your girlfriend, hope we can still be friends'."

"What's the alternative?" Santana asks. "Continue sneaking around with Rachel until Sophie finds out from somebody else or worse, actually sees you together. She's going to be heartbroken either way but at least if you tell her, it's not going to be as bad as it would be if she found out you'd been lying to her. That _both_ of you have been lying to her."

"I can't tell her Santana," Quinn whispers lightly. "I couldn't deal with it when she hated me because of Alison. You know when I got accepted into NYU, I rang her number on instinct and it was only when she rejected the call immediately that I remembered she hated me. She's been my best friend since we were four years old, I don't want to ruin that, not again. I can't." A tear rolls downs Quinn's cheek as she's finished speaking.

"There's always option 2."

"What's that?"

Santana eventually slides down the wall and sits behind her friend. "Leave Rachel alone. I'm not talking about saying you will or trying to do it, I actually mean leave her alone. Don't see her unless it's unavoidable, don't call her, and don't speak to her. Forget about her."

The thought of not being able to see or speak to Rachel is too daunting for Quinn to process so she simply shakes her head.

"I can't do that either."

Santana exhales heavily at her friend's stubbornness. "You can't keep doing whatever it is you're doing, it's not going to end well for anybody. You have to do something, either tell Sophie or forget about Rachel."

"You make it sound so simple."

"It's not though, I know that."

"You told me once that even if Brittany had been with somebody else when you first met her, you would have pursued her because she knew she was the one for you."

"That was different, it was a hypothetical situation, and Brittany was single when we met."

"But say she wasn't?" Quinn suggests. "Say she had been dating Sophie or me, would you have still had that prerogative?"

"This isn't going to help Quinn, this is all what ifs."

"Would you?"

Santana releases a long breath and rests her head against the wall. She waits several seconds before answering. "If I was in love with her and she was dating either you or Sophie, I'd probably be doing the same thing you are right now."

"Would you walk away?"

"It'd be hard."

"Then how am I supposed to?"

Santana wraps an arm around Quinn's shoulder and attempts to pull her into a hug. Quinn stiffens before complying and resting her head on Santana's shoulder. It's time like this Santana really wishes Brittany was here.

"You need to decide who is more important to you, Sophie or Rachel?"

"That's not a fair question."

Santana bobs her head lightly. "Life isn't fair Q, it never has been."

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Looking up at the apartment building, she feels a sense of disappointment flood through her. If she goes inside, she's not going to leave happy. Santana stayed with her for another hour after their conversation and told her that no matter what happened, she'd always be there for her, even if she's pissed at her sometimes. Quinn appreciates that but she knows full well that if push came to shove and Sophie found out, Sophie would need Santana more than she does and Quinn would want Santana to be there for Sophie more than her because it won't be her that's had their heart broken.

Nerves surface in the pit of her stomach and she rummages quickly in her bag in search of a cigarette. It is times like these that she really needs a cigarette to take the edge off, to calm her down. Remembering she's attempting to stop smoking, she huffs before popping a piece of Nicorette gum out of the pack and throwing it into her mouth, grimacing slightly at the taste.

Gum doesn't compare in any way, shape or form to an actual cigarette and it leaves her hands free to do whatever they want and she doesn't like that. Half of her addiction to smoking was actually having something in her hands.

Her memory is a little fuzzy from the night she dropped Rachel off at her apartment after Brittany's dance recital but after driving down several wrong roads, she finally found the vaguely familiar building.

Not that it really matters since Quinn has no idea what number Rachel lives at. She scours the buzzers beside the front door but her eyes don't fall on a Rachel Berry or a Kurt. It probably doesn't help that she doesn't know what his surname is.

Deciding to just put it down to fate, she hits the button for flat 5a and waits for somebody to speak to her through the intercom. Maybe she'll be lucky and it'll be Rachel. Even if she gets the wrong apartment, somebody might be able to direct her to the apartment she's seeking. Quinn knows everybody in her apartment building from her snooty next door neighbour who always looks down her nose at Quinn or the twenty year old stoner who lives above her.

She's about to hit another button when she hears an unfamiliar male voice say hello.

"This isn't Rachel's Berry apartment is it?"

"No."

"You don't happen to know which apartment Rachel Berry lives in do you?"

"What does she look like?"

Quinn smiles slightly that the man is being helpful. "She's quite petite and has long brown hair; she lives with a rather flamboyant guy."

There's silence on the other line before the man clears his throat. "Oh yeah I know her, she's got a great ass."

Quinn scowls at the comment but decides not to push it. "Great, do you know what number she lives at?"

"She always walks up the stairs past my apartment and there's only one floor after me so she's either in 6a or 6b, I don't know which one."

"Thank you," Quinn tells him as she glances at the names beside the buzzer for 6a and 6b. The resident in 6a is Brown and 6b is Hummel-Hudson. "Could you do me another favour and buzz me in the building please."

"What's in it for me?"

Quinn rolls her eyes because is this guy seriously trying to flirt with her through an intercom. She doesn't answer him as she sees somebody coming towards the door. She steps back as the person opens the door and leaves the building. She quickly deposits her gum in the nearby trash can before catching the door as it's about to close and steps inside, just after hearing the man from the fifth floor saying hello. She heads toward the elevator only to see an 'out of order' sign across the doors. Is every elevator broken at the minute? The one in her apartment building has been broken for the past two weeks so even though she's accustomed to taking the stairs, she's not looking forward to climbing six flights of them.

She starts running up the flights of stairs until she reaches the fourth floor and her run is slowed down to a walk as she tries to catch her breath whilst climbing the remaining stairs. As she stands outside 6a, she places her hands on her hips and breathes heavily. She really should start doing more cardio; her fitness level has deteriorated dramatically since her role as head cheerleader.

Her use of cigarettes since the age of 16 hasn't helped either.

She knocks on the door and waits several seconds before it is opened to reveal a rather rotund middle-aged woman.

Either Rachel's aged considerably since the other day and gained a significant amount of weight or she has the wrong apartment. "Sorry, I think I have the wrong apartment, I was looking for Rachel Berry."

The woman gives her a wide smile. "She's across the hall, such a lovely girl," the woman gushes and Quinn glances over her shoulder at the door to 6a. "Would you do me a favour?" She asks quietly before disappearing only to reappear with a piece of cake on a plate. "Would you give her this cake? My niece has recently turned vegan so I'm trying out some recipes and Rachel has kindly offered to be my taste tester."

Quinn half laughs but accepts the plate. "Of course."

The woman thanks her before saying goodbye and closing the door. Quinn furrows her eyebrows before turning around and walking towards the other apartment on the floor. She uses her free hand to knock on the door. It takes longer than it had with Mrs Brown but eventually she hears footsteps coming closer and when the door swings open, a mixture of relief and happiness floods through her when she sees Rachel."

"Quinn."

"You would have to live on the top floor."

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," Quinn tells her before remembering the piece of cake. She extends her hand, offering the cake to Rachel. "This is for you."

Rachel frowns but takes the plate nonetheless. "Did you come round to give me a slice of cake?"

"Not this time," Quinn jests playfully. "Mrs Brown asked me to give it to you; apparently you're her taste tester."

"Why were you talking to Mrs Brown?"

"I didn't know what apartment you were in, the guy in 5a said you were on the top floor so I tried 6a first," Quinn explains. "By the way, the guy in 5a sounds a bit creepy, I'd watch yourself around him, he thinks you have a nice ass."

"Jake?" Rachel says with a small smile. "He's harmless."

"That's what they all say."

"You're a lesbian, you're not going to be a fan of flirtatious men," Rachel says with a chuckle. "You're biased.

"So are you," Quinn retorts.

Rachel chuckles again and shakes her head. "I don't appreciate labels but if you want to label me, I suppose I'd be bi-sexual."

"Really?" Rachel nods her head. "I never knew that." She suddenly feels jealous that now it's not just any girl that could have Rachel, it's any boy. That's a lot of people to compete with.

She shakes her head quickly; she's not supposed to compete with anybody. Santana's right when she says Quinn has to let Rachel go, she can't start thinking about Rachel in that way again, even though right now it's pretty difficult considering Rachel's only wearing a tank top and some small shorts.

"You are aware its January right, that outfit isn't really appropriate," Quinn points out as she rakes her eyes over the brunette's body. "Aren't you cold?"

"Not really," Rachel answers quickly. "They're my exercise clothes,"

Quinn allows her eyes to trail over Rachel's attire one last time before she collects herself. As much as she is enjoying their conversation, she'd prefer to continue it inside her apartment rather than in the corridor. "How long are we going to talk before you invite me in or do you intend to leave me standing on your doorstep?"

"Sorry," Rachel says as she holds the door open wide enough for Quinn to come in. "How rude of me."

Quinn beams widely at her friend before walking inside the apartment, hearing Rachel close the door behind her. She scans Rachel's home briefly, murmuring her appreciation at the place. It's quite a big bigger than her own apartment and more spacious.

"Is Kurt here?"

Rachel is momentarily touched that Quinn remembered the name of her roommate before she shakes her head. "No, he stayed at his boyfriend's last night and then went straight to work so he'll be back later today."

"Is his surname Hummel-Hudson?"

"Yes why?"

"That was the name next to 6b, that's why I was confused because I didn't see your surname listed."

"We just decided to go with his name since he found the place," Rachel explains. "Most people I know also know Kurt so it doesn't usually create any problems.

"Is it alright if I sit down?"

"Of course."

Quinn takes a seat on the couch and waits a couple of seconds for Rachel to join her but the other woman remains by the kitchen counters.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Firstly, I wanted to apologise."

"Apologise for what?"

"For the other night," Quinn clarifies. "When you were waiting outside my apartment and you were trying to talk to me, I was drunk and I must have been quite difficult to deal with so I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry," Rachel reassures her lightly before ducking her head briefly. "Do you remember much about our conversation?"

"Some elements are still a little foggy but I do remember parts. I'm sorry I kissed you."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not Rachel. It's not okay at all." She runs her fingers through her haphazardly. "We said that nothing was going to happen between us and then I forced something to happen. I shouldn't have done that; I had no right to put you in that position."

"You didn't force anything to happen," Rachel tells her quietly.

Quinn smiles lightly before tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. During the drive to Rachel's, she had debated whether it was the right thing to tell Rachel about Santana knowing or keep it a secret but after deciding that they're both already keeping too many secrets, Quinn made the conscious decision to admit it.

"Santana knows about us."

She watches as Rachel pales, much like she'd done earlier as she grips the counter behind her for support. "How?" The single word comes out in a hushed whisper of disbelief and fear.

Quinn shrugs gently. "I sort of told her."

"You did what?" Rachel shouts. "Why on earth would you tell her about us?"

"I thought you knew," Quinn defends quickly. "She said she knew about us and I momentarily thought that maybe you'd told Brittany."

"I haven't told anybody Quinn."

"I know that now," Quinn says. "Then she decided to inform me that she only knew I had feelings for you but I'd already confessed to kissing you by that point."

"Is that all she knows? That we've kissed."

Quinn ducks her head and lightly shakes her head. "She knows we've had sex."

Rachel's eyes slam shut, this wasn't supposed to happen. Nobody was supposed to find out about them. She thought they'd been rather careful, admittedly there had been tension between the two of them but Rachel didn't think anybody bar her and Quinn would notice.

She thought she was a good enough actress to act normal around Quinn but evidently she was wrong.

She places one hand against her mouth and opens her eyes to look back at Quinn. The blonde is sitting on the couch looking incredibly apologetic.

"What's she going to do?"

"She's not going to tell Sophie."

"She told you that?"

"Well no," Quinn begins slowly. "But I know her; she wouldn't do that to me."

"I hope you're right."

Quinn rubs her hands on her thighs nervously. "She did kind of give me an ultimatum though."

Rachel drops her hand from her mouth. "What?"

"She said I either tell Sophie myself –"

"You can't," Rachel interrupts quickly.

"Or, we end things."

Rachel swallows hard. "There isn't anything to end between us."

"You don't honestly believe that do you?" Quinn asks, with a hint of curiosity. Rachel can't possibly be in that much denial.

Rachel doesn't answer; she simply asks a question of her own. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't want to lose Sophie as a friend," Quinn tells her and that answer alone is enough for Rachel to know what she's going to do but Quinn continues nevertheless. "Whatever's going on between us has to stop, really this time, not like last time. We can still be friendly to one another if we see each other but we can't go purposely go out of our way to see each other. Things are becoming far too complicated."

"I know."

She doesn't argue because if she argued, she'd be effectively suggesting that she and Quinn start an affair and that isn't something she wants to happen. Quinn's right, stopping whatever is going on between them before something else happens in the right decision.

Granted, the right decision would be to tell Sophie but that's something Rachel can't face.

The thought of not seeing Quinn and not speaking to her causes a surge of disappointment to flood over her.

Quinn stands from the couch and rubs her hands together. "I just wanted to say that and now I think it's probably best that I leave because the longer I stay her, the more likely I am to take back everything I've just said."

Rachel nods in understanding and starts walking slightly ahead of Quinn towards the front door. Quinn follows slowly behind her and it hits her that when she leaves this apartment, that's it. She's not going to be able to look at Rachel the same way again because it will be too hard.

If they're determined to stay away from each other, she can't just see Rachel whenever she likes.

Before she can stop herself, her hand reaches out and wraps itself around Rachel's wrist, gently spinning her around and pushing her back against the front door. Rachel furrows her eyebrows at Quinn's action but doesn't attempt to move. She observes Quinn's glazed eyes and the way her tongue subconsciously darts out to lick her lips.

She's seen that look in Quinn's eyes before and she knows exactly what it means.

Quinn steps that little bit closer and trails her hands along the hem of Rachel's top. She knows that she's completely contradicting everything she's just said but she doesn't want to leave on that note.

"We can't."

"I know."

Rachel swallows nervously as Quinn's hand dip underneath her top, skimming lightly over her stomach. Quinn wants to go higher, she wants to push the boundaries but she knows she can't. She shouldn't even be doing this right now. The sound of a moan escaping Rachel's lips at her touch makes it even harder to keep her hands where they are but she forces them in place.

"We shouldn't."

"I know."

Quinn raises her head so hazel eyes meet brown ones and she leans in just a little.

"You've just said nothing can happen."

"I know."

Rachel leans that little bit closer to Quinn too.

"This is wrong."

The blonde nods silently. "I know."

She knows more than anything that this is wrong but if she's going to listen to Santana's advice and try to stay away from Rachel, she wants to have one last moment with her.

One last kiss because she's probably not going to get the chance again.

She's going to have to sit back and watch Rachel with Sophie whilst she does the decent thing for quite possibly the first time in her life and stays away so she wants something to remember Rachel by.

Not like she'd ever forget but she's helpless to the gravitational pull surrounding Rachel once more and she brushes her nose lightly against the other woman's.

She had expected Rachel to stop her when Quinn had spun her around but Rachel seems more than willing to let Quinn do whatever she wants.

Her lips hover over the brunette's as she presses her body further against Rachel's. Rachel closes her eyes and tilts her head back so it connects with the front door. Quinn trails her hands up Rachel's side, stopping just shy of her bra and she can feel Rachel's heartbeat quicken at the movement. Knowing the effect she's having on Rachel makes her want to ignore Santana but instead she brings her hands back down to the other woman's hips.

It's safer territory.

She can't ignore Santana's second option because then she'd be left with the much more daunting option

Rachel still has her eyes closed and isn't making any movement to push her away. She places an open mouthed kiss on Rachel's exposed throat before cradling Rachel's face in her hands.

"Look at me."

She needs Rachel to tell her to stop otherwise she won't be able to.

Rachel's eyes open lazily and she swallows nervously at how close Quinn is to her.

"Tell me stop," Quinn all but pleads. "Tell me and I will."

She knows she should tell Quinn to stop but for once, she finds herself speechless. The lack of response from Rachel gives Quinn her answer and she slowly brings their lips together. As Rachel bites down on her bottom lip before soothing it with her tongue, Quinn moans.

She doesn't think she'd ever grow tired of kissing Rachel if they were dating.

Everything about it feels perfect.

Feels right.

The kiss is gentle but they can both feel the sense of finality in it which makes it all the more bittersweet and each woman wants to savour this moment right now.

Rachel's tongue tickles Quinn's bottom lip before it slides in, duelling with its counterpart. There's a familiar taste of strawberries and Quinn moves her hands back to the other woman's hips and give them a light squeeze. When Rachel pulls back, Quinn using the opportunity to place delicate kisses on Rachel's collarbone leading to her neck. Her thigh falls between Rachel's legs before she can even register what she's doing but she revels in the guttural moan the brunette releases.

Yet it is that exact moan that causes Quinn to pull back. If they keep going, she's not going to be able to keep her hands to herself any longer and sleeping together was not part of her plan when she decided to come and see Rachel.

Rachel tugs her bottom lip between her teeth, her cheeks flushed and her eyes only just now flutter open.

"I know I shouldn't have done that," Quinn starts to say but Rachel holds her hand up.

"I shouldn't have let you.

Quinn runs her fingers through her hair and takes a step away from the woman. "I guess I just wanted one last kiss."

Rachel murmurs her understanding.

"Sort of a goodbye kiss."

"Goodbye?"

"You and I both know that if we keep skirting around each other the way we have been, it's only a matter of time before we do something that we can't take back," Quinn explains. "I know Sophie is going to be heartbroken if she finds out what we've done but at least if we stop now, we're not adding to that heartache.

"I never wanted this Quinn; I never wanted to be in this position."

"I know," she replies lightly before cupping Rachel's cheek, running the pad of her thumb across it softly and the action causes Rachel to nuzzle into her hand. "Is it weird to say I'm going to miss you?"

Rachel chuckles dryly. "You'll still see me."

"It's not going to be the same though."

"No but we're doing the right thing."

Quinn hears Santana's voice in the back of her mind telling her that the right thing would be to be honest with Sophie but Quinn can't lose her friend again.

"Yeah and I think it's about time."

She brushes past Rachel and opens the door herself. She doesn't look back at Rachel as she leaves the apartment. Once the door is closed, Quinn leans against it and closes her eyes. She can still taste Rachel on her lips and part of her just wants to go back inside and this time, not stop.

What if by doing the right thing for somebody else means you end up doing the wrong thing for yourself?

Quinn shakes her head. "Stop it," she mumbles under her breath before pushing herself off the door and starting to walk down the stairs.

As she reaches the ground floor, she's still trying to make herself believe that staying away from Rachel is the right thing to do.

* * *

A/N 2:

**VGA** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much :) That's a really interesting theory, nobody has mentioned that before. As much as I like the theory, I can tell you that Sophie didn't have anything to do with Alison and Quinn's break up. She is rather innocent I'm afraid but you're right when you say Quinn has been a terrible friend

**Brooke** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Oh no, I don't want my story to kill you haha. Since you want Rachel and Quinn together happily, I'm guessing you might not have liked this chapter but have faith :) Good things come to those who wait haha. Thank you :)

**Myshipsank** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) You're not the first reviewer to feel conflicted and I can completely understand why that is how you feel. Cheating isn't a particular nice topic so I can understand why you hated it when you realised what the premise was. Props to you for continuing to read it, I really appreciate that :) Thank you for saying I'm doing a good job writing this, I'm trying to make Rachel and Quinn have more of an emotional affair rather than a physical one but obviously there will be physical aspects too. No need to apologise for what I didn't even think was a rant haha :)

**Redphoenix198** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Feel free to steal the reference because I took it from One Direction haha. Firstly I'm rather impressed and extremely happy that people are mentioning my story in some context, I didn't expect that to happen. Secondly, I love that this story has made you feel things and question fate and love to a certain aspect. I partly believe that we make our own fate but I also believe that there is something that sometimes guides us to a certain choice. My story seems to be making a lot of people feel conflicted but it's usually over the cheating aspect so I'm glad that for you, it's the knowledge that they could have been together.

It never hurts to be hopeful :) Life is always going to filled with what if's and that's what Quinn and Rachel are experiencing. All those what if's you've said could have changed the relationship between Rachel and Quinn drastically. If Quinn hadn't been engrossed in the book, she would have probably met Rachel but there's no telling that they would have started dating. If Rachel hadn't fought with Sophie that night, she would have met Quinn for the first time at the Halloween party and there'd be no awkwardness between them and therefore they wouldn't have met up secretly in the café for a conversation which inevitably started their tentative friendship. If Sophie had found the bracelet at Quinn's place, the story would have been over a lot quicker haha. Even though Rachel and Quinn have had the chance to meet before, maybe that wasn't the right time for them. Maybe meeting at the bar was the right time for them.

When I mentioned above that your conflict differed from the norm regarding cheating, just ignore that. Faberry will be together in the end but for the time being, they're going back to ignoring their feelings because that seems a better option than hurting Sophie.

That's an interesting point. As mentioned in the first chapter, Quinn has always wanted what she can't have so that will actually be something Rachel brings up when they finally get together. If the roles were reversed, you probably wouldn't root for Rachel and Sophie because the reason you chose to read this story was probably due to Faberry. I'm really happy that my story is bittersweet and frustrating at the same time haha.

No need to apologise

**Lealover** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Oh no, then I'm guessing you didn't like this chapter very much either haha. I hope people don't turn against me because I'm just prolonging Rachel and Quinn ending up together more and more.

**Mars** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm really glad to hear that! Hope you continue to enjoy it :)

**Anon **– Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint either. I'm really glad to hear that because Karen is going to make an appearance in the next chapter and possible the chapter after that. Quinn just seems to have fate on her side doesn't she haha. Yeah I understand what you mean with regards to Karen and I'm really pleased to hear that she's one of your favourite original characters. I'm always wary introducing somebody new because some people might not like them.

Somebody needs to take that shovel away from Quinn before she digs herself into a hole too big to climb out of, which is undoubtedly not going to happen ;) Portraying Sophie's hurt is going to be one of my hardest challenges I think so hopefully I'll do it justice and she will have a happy ending of some sorts. I love Sophie so I can't have her heartbroken for the rest of my story.

You're right; Santana had already drawn her own conclusions without actually having proof. How did you feel about Santana's reaction in this chapter?

There's honestly no need to thank me :) I appreciate people taking the time to read my story and let me know what they think and I'm more than happy to respond :)

**Jock** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Good to hear you continue to love Karen, she'll be popping up again in Chapter 19, as will Sophie so possibly another Sophie/Quinn chat?

**Polux** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much! I'm pleased to know you enjoyed my other story as well. Hopefully you enjoyed the update and to use your words, till next time :)

**Guest** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Firstly, I apologise for making you suffer several times. Quinn's past is colouring how her friends see her now because since Alison, she's not been somebody who takes relationships seriously and who sees attached women as a challenge so because of her past, her friends will automatically assume that she would be the instigator. I'm sorry to say that after the reveal a lot of the initial blame is going to head Quinn's way but I can promise that she's not going to bear the brunt of it for very long. I hope you don't continue to suffer.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: Once again, this chapter spiraled in a different direction then I intended. I'm going to stop planning chapters because they always end up different haha. Things are steadily moving forward now. Nice, quick update for you all and there should be another chapter up on Valentines Day. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Chapter 19:**

After she broke up with Finn, she had spent several days lounging about in her apartment, not changing out of her pyjamas and wallowing in self-pity, disappointed that her relationship had come to an end. For a week, she kept a box of tissues close to hand just in case her tear ducts were still working after the inordinate amount of tears she had managed to produce as a result of the break up.

Even though it had been her choice to terminate the relationship, she still grieved the end of her first relationship.

She had dreamed of marrying Finn when they first started dating so to realise that that wasn't going to happen anymore made her start crying and then she found herself unable to stop.

Finn was after all, her first love. He will always hold a special place in her heart and even though she knew breaking up was the right decision; it still stung for quite a while afterwards.

Her break up with Brody didn't really affect her because their relationship had never been more than heated kisses. She thinks it affected him more than her because he actually had deep feelings for her, feelings she didn't reciprocate.

After Quinn told her that they needed to end whatever was going on between, she felt the need to cry. Even though the only relationship they had shared had been a tentative friendship filled with stolen kisses, she felt like Quinn had broken up with her.

They weren't a couple yet something definitely ended when Quinn left her apartment.

That had been a week ago and she hadn't spoken to or seen Quinn since then and unsurprisingly, it's been rather difficult for her. She's found herself wanting to phone Quinn just to see how she is or to ask how she plans to spend Valentine Day. She tells herself it's because she's interested in Quinn's life from a friend perspective but deep down she wants to know whether Quinn's struggling as much as she is or whether Quinn is spending the romantic holiday with somebody.

Not speaking to Quinn proved most difficult yesterday after she received some rather important news. Her first instinct had been to call Quinn and share the good news but after she finished dialling her number, she remembered that they weren't supposed to talk to each other unless it was unavoidable.

That they had to try and stop what had been happening for the sake of Sophie.

So she placed her phone back in her bag and decided that she would just tell Quinn the news the next time they saw each other.

Unfortunately, she didn't anticipate that the next time she would be seeing Quinn would be in the company of everybody else.

If she thought the dinner party back in November had been uncomfortable then right now surpasses that by quite a way. She sits awkwardly on the couch whilst everybody starts talking around her and she quietly hopes that the afternoon will be over shortly.

She doesn't know how much longer she can take in everybody's company without somebody noticing her tense posture and worried demeanour.

With everything that happened with Quinn, she had completely forgotten about her bridesmaids dress fitting with Brittany and the rest of her bridesmaids and as a result, the date had somewhat sneaked up on her. Brittany had told her over a month ago about the day, ordering her to save the date. She also informed her that her fellow bridesmaids would be Mercedes and Tina from high school and Karen from her dance school would be maid of honour.

She was thrilled to hear that Mercedes and Tina were going to be bridesmaids as well because she hadn't seen them since graduation. Brittany on the other hand had stayed in contact with them. Not that Rachel is surprised, Brittany was keen to remain friends with everybody once high school finished.

When she first found out that Karen was going to be maid of honour, Brittany had followed up the announcement by apologising to Rachel for not picking her. Although she didn't mind, until she met Sophie, she hadn't really seen Brittany that much since leaving high school. They occasionally talked on the phone and arranged a trip to a nearby coffee shop every couple of months but they weren't best friends.

Besides, Brittany does see Karen every day at work.

Even though she had no need to apologise, Rachel still appreciated the apology.

She had no problem with Karen being maid of honour and Rachel initially saw an opportunity to befriend one of Brittany's friends but now she knows who Karen is and that the British woman has some form of interest in Quinn, Rachel's not as quick to extend the hand of friendship. A sense of uneasiness fills her stomach at the thought of sharing Brittany and Santana's special day with both Karen and Quinn.

Granted the feeling of uneasiness that is currently spreading through her could also be due to the presence of Sophie and Quinn in the bridal store along herself and Karen.

She steals a glance at the dark haired woman chatting animatedly to Brittany in front of the mirror and scowls slightly even though nobody can see her. Karen's the type of girl Rachel envied during high school, the natural beauty who can have anybody they want and who everybody wants to be with. She looks perfect, not one strand of black hair is out of place and the thick rimmed glasses she is wearing just showcase her blue eyes wonderfully.

Even though she's not the biggest fan of Karen right now, even Rachel has to admit that the other woman is gorgeous.

She's not surprised Quinn wanted to date her.

Despite seeing her flawless appearance, Rachel also sees somebody that quite possibly spent the night with Quinn and she hates that she doesn't know what happened between Karen and Quinn on their date.

She has no right to be curious but no matter how hard she tries, she can't help but wonder whether they slept together.

At the dinner party in November, Santana made it pretty clear that Quinn partook quite often in one-night stands and Rachel should know how true that is since she was after all, supposed to just be a one-night to the blonde.

She shakes her head in an attempt to rid those thoughts as she watches Quinn walk over to Karen and starts talking to but Rachel is too far away to hear what they are discussing. Somehow, Brittany's bridesmaids fitting had turned into both hers and Santana's bridesmaids fitting which means that she is now sitting in a bridal store surrounded by Santana, Brittany, Sophie, Quinn, Tina, Mercedes and Karen.

Obviously just being in the store with Brittany, Tina, Mercedes and Karen wouldn't have been awkward enough.

On the bright side, she has been able to speak to Tina and Mercedes for the first time in years. She's pleased to find out that Tina and Mike Chang are still very much together and they actually married in a small ceremony two years ago. Mercedes on the other hand is working in the music business in LA, something that Rachel always expected the woman to do after graduation.

"Are you okay?"

Rachel lifts her attention away from Quinn and Karen to see Brittany standing in front of her, her head tilted to the side in perfect curiosity.

"Do you not like the dresses I've picked?" She questions with a hint of disappointment. "I thought you liked the colour red. I can always ask Santana if we can change the colour or the style but I think it might be a bit too late now."

Rachel glances at the other women who are currently wearing their bridesmaid dresses, she had yet to try hers on because they were taking it in turns so Brittany and Santana could pay close attention to how each dress fit on every woman and currently it was Sophie's turn to try hers on. "There's no need to do that, the dresses are perfect Brittany," Rachel clarifies, settling her friend's doubts.

Her friend takes a seat beside her. "Then what's wrong because you look like a sad panda right now?"

"I'm just feeling a little under the weather," Rachel tells her. "Once it's passed, I'll be fine."

She knows her friend is lying but Brittany accepts the answer without question. She thinks back to a week ago when Santana admitted that she didn't know whether Quinn and Rachel would do anything whilst Rachel was in a relationship with Sophie. Brittany knew immediately that her fiancée was lying to her and that Santana did know whether they'd do anything.

Her eyes always shift to the right whenever she lies.

It's a tell that Brittany first noticed within a couple of months of dating but has chosen to keep her knowledge a secret because it can come in handy sometimes.

Santana remained calm and pleasant during dinner with her parents but as soon as they left Brittany and Santana alone, her fiancée started to murmur to herself and she tidied away the dinner plates with a tensed body. Brittany didn't need to ask why Santana was angry because she already knew.

Her fiancée felt conflicted because she is friends with both Quinn and Sophie and therefore, she didn't know what to do.

In their friendship, Quinn has always been the central point. Sophie's best friend is Quinn and Santana's best friend is Quinn. Naturally, Santana felt more of an allegiance with Quinn but she knew that the situation was wrong and something had to be done.

Brittany tried to calm her down and they both made a promise not to interfere. After all, it wasn't really any of their business. She thinks deep down that she knew Santana wouldn't be able to keep that promise so she was unable to stay mad at her for very long.

Brittany had been scouring takeaway menus when Santana returned home after her conversation with Quinn and proceeded to inform her of everything that had happened between them. At first Brittany didn't want to hear anything because she expected that Quinn wouldn't want more people to know about the unfortunate situation she found herself in but Santana had simply told her that they had promised to never keep secrets from one another.

As a result, it's not only Santana that feels conflicted.

Brittany wants Rachel to be able to open up to her like Quinn has opened up to Santana but she knows Rachel well enough to know that's not going to happen. If there is one thing Brittany prides herself on, it's her patience so she'll wait until Rachel feels comfortable enough to tell her.

"You know you can talk to me Rachel. If you wanted to, you should know that I'm pretty open-minded," Brittany tells her; mainly so her friend knows that she has the choice to talk to her should she want to.

"Talk to you about what?"

The blonde's eyes dart in Quinn's direction for the briefest of seconds before she shrugs her shoulders. "Anything that's on your mind."

Rachel breathes in deeply. If Santana knows about her and Quinn, chances are so does Brittany and this is Brittany's way of asking her to talk to her. Rachel wants to, she wants to be able to be open about her feelings to somebody but in the middle of the bridal store isn't the best place for a frank discussion. Instead she sends a grateful smile in her friend's direction.

"Thank you for the offer Brittany, I'll definitely keep that in mind."

Brittany bobs her head lightly, slightly surprised at her friend's reaction. She had been expecting Rachel to say she didn't have anything to talk about. She glances up as Sophie appears from the fitting rooms and pats Rachel on the knee. "It's your turn to try on your dress."

* * *

Standing in front of the mirror, she glances at the woman staring back at her. She's always been somewhat comfortable with her appearance, at least behind the masquerade of clothing. It's a different story when she's wearing underwear or nothing at all. She knows she's not the most attractive person in the world but she became happy with her appearance some years ago.

She just needs to come to terms with her body issues now.

But now, as she stares at the woman looking back at her, she barely recognises herself.

There are dark circles beginning to form underneath her eyes because she hasn't been able to sleep properly for weeks. Every time she closes her eyes, she pictures Quinn and when she finally falls to sleep, she dreams about what would happen should Sophie ever find out. The dream is always the same, Sophie spits the words 'I hate you' and 'I never want to see you' at her and then she wakes up in a cold sweat.

She's become a cheater and a liar, two things she never expected to be.

Whilst she used to look in the mirror and focus on her pores or the persistent bit of fat around her stomach that she couldn't shift, now she's focused on what type of person she has become.

For the first time in a long time, Rachel doesn't notice her pores or the fat on her stomach.

She always thought that the day she stopped worrying about them would be the day she was truly happy in her body.

It turns out that those worries have just been replaced by another set of worries.

Yet more things she dislikes about herself.

"Rachel, are you stuck in your dress?" Brittany shouts from the store. "That's happened to me before."

Rachel responds by opening the curtain and leaving the fitting room area and entering the main area of the store, coming face to face with the other women. Her cheeks flush as six pairs of eyes fall on her, two sets lingering over her body for a little longer than necessary.

She spins at Brittany's request before standing still as Brittany observes her dress, ensuring it fits everywhere.

"It fits," Brittany says with glee as she claps her hands softly. "Everybody's dresses fit; we don't need to make any alterations." She kisses her fiancée on the cheek. "We can cross off bridesmaids' dresses on our checklist."

Santana smiles at the blonde. "Unless somebody decides to gain a few extra pounds," Santana says as she stares at the other women. "I hope you're all listening to this, no gaining weight until after the wedding."

Quinn rolls her eyes. "It's like being back on the cheerios," she mumbles under her breath.

"You look amazing babe," Sophie states as she comes to stand beside her girlfriend.

Rachel flushes a little bit more but appreciates the compliment because it reassures her. "Thank you," she replies gratefully before looking at her girlfriend's dress. The betrothed couple had decided to go for the same bridesmaids' dresses but different shades of red. Brittany's bridesmaids were going to be wearing a light shade of red whilst Santana's bridesmaids would be wearing crimson coloured dresses. "So do you."

Sophie reaches for her girlfriend's hand and entwines their fingers. "After this fitting and the meal, I need to talk to you."

Rachel swallows nervously. "That sounds ominous."

"It wasn't supposed to," Sophie says as she starts to backtrack. "It's nothing bad; well nothing too bad but you might not like the news. In fact, I'm pretty sure Santana and Brittany won't like the news either."

"Okay, consider me intrigued," Rachel tells her. "I don't understand why you can't tell me now."

"I just want to tell you in private," Sophie says as an explanation.

Worry floods through her at the thought that Sophie needs to talk to her. Stereotypically, hearing the words 'we need to talk' in a relationship isn't a good thing.

"Is everything okay?"

Sophie nods slowly. "Yeah, of course. Don't worry about it," she whispers lightly before pecking her girlfriend's lips.

Even though she's been told not to worry, it doesn't stop her from worrying. Sophie can't possibly know about her and Quinn, she wouldn't be that calm if she did. Quinn seemed pretty confident that Santana would keep their secret from Sophie but what if Santana has told Sophie? After all, Rachel thought Quinn wouldn't tell anybody.

"Relax babe," Sophie orders lightly. "I didn't mean to worry you." She cups her girlfriend's cheek before giving her a chaste kiss. "I love you."

That calms Rachel down a little bit because there is no way that Sophie would act this way if she knew about Rachel and Quinn.

Her girlfriend heads towards Tina and Mercedes and immediately starts a conversation with them. That's one of the things Rachel loves about Sophie, her ability to form a friendship with anybody, no matter how long she's known them. She's completely comfortable with starting a conversation with somebody she doesn't know and her ability to make people feel at ease results in forming friendships easily.

When they had their first date, Rachel had expected to encounter several awkward silences. She thought that it was natural on first dates. After all, she still endured them with Finn sometimes after they've been dating for over a year. She was pleasantly surprised when they didn't encounter any at all. Sophie made her feel comfortable and their conversation just flowed naturally, almost as if they'd known each other for months.

Over a year later and that comfort and easiness hasn't dwindled.

So why does Rachel feel the pull towards Quinn when she has everything she's ever wanted in a relationship with Sophie?

She heads towards the mirror on the opposite side of the bridal store and observes her dress once more. Brittany has chosen a really lovely dress for her bridesmaids to wear and Rachel actually really likes the apparel.

Her breath hitches as Quinn comes into view behind her through the mirror. She daren't turn around, choosing to focus on the blonde through the shield of the mirror instead.

"You look –" Quinn starts before cutting herself off. "That dress is –" She cuts herself off once more and Rachel watches her run her fingers through her hair haphazardly. Quinn decides to settle on a comforting smile and sends it her way, knowing full well that Rachel is observing her every move in the mirror.

What she had really wanted to say was that she looked beautiful, that the dress is perfect for her and she looks better than anybody else in this bridal store but she doesn't.

Quinn turns around and starts walking away from Rachel towards everybody else. The brunette turns around slowly and tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "Quinn?"

The blonde halts immediately at the sound of her name falling from Rachel's lips. She spins back around to face the brunette. "Yes."

Rachel ducks her head so her eyes are entranced with the white carpet. She wants to tell Quinn that yesterday she received a phone call from Artie telling her how her audition went. She wants to tell Quinn that because of her, she's going to be starring in her first Broadway musical and she wants Quinn to congratulate her but she's unable to form any of those words.

She's temporarily mute and it's unnerving for her so instead, she shakes her head. "Nothing, it doesn't matter."

Quinn bobs her head lightly but doesn't make any sign of moving. "Rachel?"

Rachel raises her head to meet Quinn's eyes and instantly feels spellbound by the intense hazel eyes staring back at her, a mixture of want and lust hidden behind them. "Yes."

"Red is definitely your colour."

* * *

"Five dollars says that woman is going to cry within the next minute."

Quinn follows Karen's gaze to see a bride-to-be trying on a wedding dress at the other end of the store, an older woman standing beside her, gushing proudly.

Obviously the mother.

"Who? The bride or the mother?"

Karen tilts her head to the side for a moment. "The mother."

Quinn chuckles and holds her hand out for Karen to shake. "Okay, I'll go with the bride-to-be then."

Both observe the other two women for several more seconds before the mother starts dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. Karen gives Quinn an over-exaggerated fist pump before holding out her hand. "Pay up Quinnie."

"Damn, I've left my money in my other dress," Quinn retorts as she glances down at her bridesmaids dress. She's not really sure why they haven't been allowed to change back into their normal clothes yet but she doesn't bother arguing with Brittany or Santana.

"You owe me a drink," Karen compromises before grabbing her stomach as it rumbles. "Bloody hell, I am so hungry, I could actually eat a three-course meal and still have room for more. How serious do you think Santana was about not gaining weight?" She questions with a playful glint behind her eyes.

"She was definitely serious and if I was you, I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of her."

"Speaking from experience there Quinn?"

Quinn nods slowly before looking around the store to gage how far away everybody is from her and Karen, trying to decide whether it's safe to talk to her about Rachel. Deciding it is, she leans back on the couch. "Let's just say you're not the only person who knows about my –" Quinn exhales heavily. "Let's call it my secret."

"Really? How did that happen? I thought you wanted to keep things to yourself."

"I didn't just decide that it would be more fun to tell people," Quinn replies seriously. "Santana told me she knew and things spiralled from there."

"How are you doing with everything?"

"What do you think?"

"Sorry, stupid question." Quinn nods along with Karen's statement. Karen looks to her left to where Rachel is sitting beside an auburn-haired woman. She had only learned a couple of hours that her name was Sophie and she was a friend of Santana. When Quinn had told her that Rachel was in a relationship with one of her friends, Karen hadn't expected the friend in question to be Quinn's best friend.

Yet something else she learned a couple of hours ago.

"I didn't think the friend in question would be your best friend," Karen whispers so nobody else can hear them. "Why didn't you tell me that part?"

"I already feel bad enough about it without admitting it to you."

"She looked really good in her bridesmaids dress today," Karen tells her. "She looked better than me in fact but in my defence, red isn't in my colour."

"Were you checking her out?" Quinn asks playfully although her voice holds a serious tone.

"Why, would you be jealous if I were?" Quinn frowns for a second before relaxing when Karen offers her a small smile. "You're cute when you're possessive over her."

"I'm not possessive over her," Quinn retaliates. "She can do what she wants."

Karen glances to over her shoulder to see Rachel and Sophie chatting animatedly and when Quinn follows her gaze, her heart sinks at the normality of their actions and focuses on how happy they both look. "She seems happy."

Maybe it's the sparkle in Rachel's eye or how her hand reaches across to stroke Sophie's arm or the wide smile on her face but Quinn finds herself nodding. "Yeah, she does."

She wants Sophie to be happy but a small part of her hoped that maybe Rachel wasn't too happy with Sophie and that was why she felt a pull towards Quinn.

She feels terrible for thinking that but clearly looking at the pair of them right now proves her wrong.

"How is the whole following your heart thing going?"

"It's not," Quinn deadpans. "I can't do that to Sophie so I'm staying away."

Karen releases a loud burst of laughter causing everybody to look at her with quirked eyebrows. "Sorry, I just remembered something funny I saw earlier. Don't you just love it when that happens? One minute everything is fine and then you remember something funny and you just crack up."

Everybody simply stares at her, some with curious looks on their face but Brittany is grinning widely at her. "I do that all the time."

Satisfied at the explanation, everybody returns to their conversations leaving Quinn and Karen to theirs.

"What was so funny?"

"You saying you're staying away."

"Why is that funny?"

"When you were telling me about her after our date, your entire face lit up at just the mention of her name," Karen replies honestly. "Quinn it's obvious that you're in love with her, I mean I could see that without even really talking to you about her. You can say you're staying away from her all you want but you won't be able to do it."

"Yes I will, I care about Sophie too much to ruin our friendship."

"I don't want to sound mean or blunt Quinn but –" Karen starts before brushing some hair behind her ear. "You've slept with her girlfriend; can you honestly tell me that your friendship isn't already ruined to some degree?"

"I want to do the right thing."

"For who?"

"What?"

Karen places her hand over Quinn's. "Who do you want to do the right thing for? Her or yourself? Because trust me Quinn, they're two completely different things."

She takes one last glance in the mirror at her bridesmaids dress in the fitting room with a half-smile. After Santana threatened that she would be organising

* * *

Quinn's bridesmaids dress, she had presumed that it would be a tacky and horrible dress that didn't suit her at all.

Something bright orange or luminous yellow.

Luckily, the red dress she is wearing is really nice and she presumes that it is all Brittany's doing rather than Santana's.

Not that she isn't grateful for that.

She undresses slowly, stripping down to her underwear and hanging the bridesmaids dress on the hook on the wall. She's always felt on show in fitting rooms, even though she's in private, something about the situation has always made her feel a little uncomfortable so she prefers to get the process over and done with as quickly as possible.

Her jeans are in her hands when somebody starts to pull the curtain open. She grabs the end of it quickly before it opens completely.

"I'm in here," she shouts, hoping that the person trying to enter is somebody from their group of friends.

"I know you idiot."

She calms down at the voice before releasing her grasp on the curtain. As soon as her grip relaxes, Santana pulls the curtain open and steps inside, closing the curtain behind her.

"Santana, what the hell?" Quinn protests as she holds the dress against her body to cover herself.

Her friend rolls her eyes in a playful manner. "Oh please. There's no need to be shy Quinnie. I've seen you in less than your underwear before."

"What? When?"

Santana chuckles dryly. "You really shouldn't drink vodka, on your 21st birthday I saw more than I cared to."

Quinn flushes as she thinks back to her 21st birthday. She had drunk an excessive amount of alcohol to the point where she couldn't even remember how she got home that night. The only thing she could remember was being violently sick the following morning. She thought that had been bad enough but now she's learned she must have flashed her friend or exposed herself in some way, Quinn feels mortified.

"Look on the bright side, at least you're hot."

Quinn holds the dress even tighter against her body suddenly feeling self-conscious. "Even if you have seen me naked, that doesn't give you the right to barge in her whilst I'm changing."

"You let go of the curtain, I presumed that meant it was okay to come in."

"I let go because I was relieved to hear your voice instead of a stranger," Quinn explains. "It wasn't an invitation Santana."

"I thought talking in private might be more beneficial for you than talking in front of people."

Quinn frowns harshly. "If you're planning on slapping me again you can leave because I'm really not in the mood."

"I'm not going to slap you, don't worry."

"Then what do you want?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Santana tells her softly as she rests against the wall. Her tone is unbelievably soft and Quinn listens carefully, absorbing the moment because she's not used to hearing Santana speak like this. "I know it must be inconvenient that Rachel's here."

"Can we not talk about this right now?" Quinn hisses. "In case it's escaped your notice, the situation between me and Rachel isn't something I want to be public news."

"Everybody's in the store talking about the wedding, nobody can hear us Q."

Even though that doesn't provide much comfort to her, she finds herself answering Santana's earlier statement regardless. "It's more than inconvenient S, it's fucking horrible."

Santana grimaces lightly. "Brittany wanted us to combine the bridesmaids' fittings," Santana explains. "I told her not to but she really wanted to and you know I can't say no to her."

"It's just, you told me I had to stay away and now she's here," Quinn says as she runs her fingers through her hair. "I'm not blaming you okay, I just…you don't have any idea how hard it is for me to not be able to go up and start talking to her."

"I can imagine."

"No, you can't Santana," Quinn bites back. "Because you've never been in this situation."

"Quinn –"

"I understand why you told me to end things, don't get me wrong, I know you were only trying to do the right thing but you have no clue what's going on between me and Rachel right now."

"You never know, it might get easier over time," Santana suggests, even though she doesn't even believe that herself.

Quinn scoffs. "Staying away from her isn't going to make me forget that I'm in love with her Santana."

Santana's mouth opens slowly before she closes her. "You're in love with her?"

"I told you that."

"No you didn't," Santana states. "You said you thought you were in love with her."

Quinn realises that Santana is right, this is the first time she's actually admitted to being in love with Rachel and the surprise declaration has not only shocked Santana, it's shocked her. Still, she doesn't bother arguing with herself. "I wasn't sure whether I was or not," she explains. "Then after I told her that nothing more could happen between us, I just wanted to head back to her apartment and take everything back. I wanted to tell her to ignore me and it's not because I don't care about Sophie, it's because I don't want to lose Rachel. I'm in love with her Santana."

"Out of all our friends, why is it you that always ends up in these situations?"

"I guess I'm just that lucky," Quinn murmurs sarcastically before resting against the opposite wall from Santana. "Do you still think staying away from her is the best option?"

"If I'm being honest, I thought the best option was for you to tell Sophie."

"I can't do that, I told you."

Santana exhales heavily. "Quinn, this isn't just a crush. If you're in love with her girlfriend, it isn't going to go away and Sophie needs to know. She's planning her future with somebody that might not love her back."

"Rachel loves her back," Quinn replies instantly.

Santana's answer is just as quick. "Are you sure about that?" She quirks her eyebrow as she asks the question. "What if she doesn't Quinn? What if she loves you?"

"She doesn't love me."

"How do you know?" Santana asks with genuine curiosity. "Look, I know I told you to stay away from her but that might have been the wrong advice and I apologise but I was shocked at everything you told me. I thought…no, I hoped that you'd get over your feelings for her and everything would work out but that's not going to happen. It can't happen if you love her. Somebody is going to end up hurt no matter what but if you keep lying, it's only going to make things ten times worse."

"A week ago you were happy with my decision to end things with Rachel."

"I wasn't exactly doing cartwheels Quinn. I made a mistake, I should have only given you one option, tell Sophie. That's the only decent thing to do."

"I know Santana but I can't," Quinn replies. "You have to understand that."

"I do."

"Staying away from Rachel is going to work," Quinn says adamantly. Whether she's trying to convince Santana or herself, she's not too sure. "I'm going to make sure it does."

Santana runs her fingers through her hair. "In the past week, have you spoken to Sophie?" Quinn shakes her head. "Have you spoken to her today?"

"Not really."

"How is staying away from Rachel going to work if you end up staying away from Sophie too?" Santana questions lightly. "You're her best friend; she's going to notice that you're avoiding her."

"Santana, a week ago you gave me some advice and now you're changing your mind," Quinn tells her. "I've ended things with Rachel and you know what, I don't even know how she feels about me so I'm not going back on my word. I just need a couple of weeks and my friendship with Sophie will be back to normal."

"I don't think that's going to happen Q."

Quinn shakes her head fervently. "It will."

Once again, she's not sure who she is trying to convince.

* * *

She waits silently until she hears the curtain opening once more and somebody leaves. She's not sure whether it's Santana or both Santana and Quinn. After a couple of seconds, she hears their voices disappear signalling that both of them are back in the main part of the store. Her head falls back against the wall as she allows her eyes to close. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop but then she heard Santana mention her name and her curiosity peaked. As a result she found herself listening intently to everything Santana and Quinn said.

They obviously didn't know that she was next door to them.

She had just finished changing out of her dress and was about to head back to everybody else when the conversation began and she remained rooted to her spot, unable to move.

Unable to leave.

Even though the other women have left, she's still unable to move and her mind is replaying the conversation she has just heard.

She can't believe it.

What Quinn has just admitted changes everything.

"Babe?"

She clears her throat before answering. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" The voice asks her and she can see their shadow underneath the curtain. "You've been in there quite a while."

"I'm fine," she replies quietly. "The zipper on my skirt became stuck and I spent ages trying to fix it but everything's now working in the correct fashion again."

"Okay, well I think Brittany wants us to leave and head for the meal now so how much longer will you need to change?"

She pulls back the curtain with the bridesmaids dress in her hands. "I'm ready now; I was just about to leave when you came to check on me."

Her girlfriend entwines their fingers together and gives her a chaste kiss. "You really did look amazing in that dress Rach."

Rachel flushes lightly at the compliment and how sincere it is. "Thank you."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Rachel bobs her head lightly. "Yeah, I'm just hungry."

"You and me both, I think my stomach is going to start eating itself if we don't eat soon."

She laughs at her girlfriend before following her back into the main part of the store. Her eyes immediately find Quinn but the blonde woman has her back to her and Rachel is actually grateful because right now, she has no idea what to do with her newfound knowledge.

* * *

A/N 2:

**Elmooooooooo** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) She really did make the wrong decision and she's continuing to make the wrong decision in this chapter. You're right about the longer the truth is hidden, the worse the reveal is going to be but isn't that going to make it so much more entertaining ;) Santana's a good secret keeper, don't worry. Rachel will also realise who she wants shortly :)

**Guest **– Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Because life is unfair? But don't worry, destiny wants them to be together so they will be and Karen is wondering the same thing as you haha.

**Lealover** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Sorry about killing you :P Rachel's already missing Quinn so hopefully she'll see the light soon enough and I know, well done Quinn!

**Anon** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I still can't believe the last chapter was 9k words!

Thank you, I was worried that I wouldn't accurately portray Santana's character so I re-read it several times trying to make sure that what she said, was something that sounded like she would say. I completely understand and Quinn is getting tired of hearing it too so don't you worry about that. She's going to lose her patient with regards to that soon enough and it may just make things worse, if that's possible because she might end up regretting the things she says. Reasons as to why they think she stole Alison will be explained, don't forget, in Chapter 15, Sophie confessed that she doesn't completely believe Quinn when she said nothing happened between them whilst Alison was with Sophie.

It's weird but I'm kind of glad that scene managed to break your heart. I wanted that chapter to be emotional and heart breaking. Sorry, I'm not sure which slap you're talking about, I think you're talking about how the slap after the mention was deserved but I could be wrong so please correct me. As you'll have just read, she took your advice and is now providing just one option but Quinn's not going to listen. I understand what you're saying and with regards to 'the truth shall set you free', maybe it will, just not yet ;)

I love that it's making you question your stand on cheating in terms of this story. I think Sophie's going to be too heartbroken at first to appreciate the fact that Quinn tried to stay away but maybe over time she'll appreciate it. She has the strength to stop that liaison but it won't be the last one and she might not be able to keep stopping them. Thank you, yeah they're keeping secrets from everybody else, they don't need to keep them from each other. Of course that won't be their last ;)

Thank you very much :) Hopefully I didn't disappoint with this one either.

How did you like Karen's return? I'm pretty sure she'll be in the next chapter as well. As for the wedding, you're right to feel like that because something momentous is going to happen.

**Polux** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Yes don't worry, Rachel will deal with the blame as much as Quinn but Quinn will be blamed first. I'm glad you're biased over Quinn. Thank you very much :) Till next time :)

**VGA** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Don't worry, hopefully your heart will mend shortly. Thank you very much :)

**Alicja** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I completely understand your feelings and Quinn is going to eventually snap and tell both Santana and Sophie to stop saying that. I think because they've been saying she stole Alison, which you're right, wasn't the case, Sophie's going to realise that she didn't take Alison from her but she's going to feel like she took Rachel from her because this time, Quinn did pursue her girlfriend when they were dating. You're right, it does take two to tango but I will say that Quinn will be blamed at first but don't worry; Rachel is going to step up. As for Rachel telling Sophie, I'm not saying anything about how Sophie finds out haha so you'll just have to see :P I'm glad you're quite passionate about this but I hope you believe me when I say that it is going to all work out in the end. In fairness, you could suggest that Quinn is being a bit cowardly because she doesn't have the balls to tell Sophie either. But I like that Quinn is your favourite :) I'm afraid that for the time being, Sophie is ideal and hasn't done anything wrong but that's not to say she won't in the future. Unfortunately, some people are boring, not everybody is exciting haha. No need to apologies, I'm happy that the story gives you so many feelings, please keep telling me them. Jealous Rachel is coming :)

**Jade** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Wow, thank you very much :) Don't lose hope though because things will always work out for Rachel and Quinn! That I can promise you. Thank you once again; I can't cope with all these compliments. You're going to make me blush. I appreciate that sentiment, I think I'm a little bit in love with you too so I won't file a lawsuit :) Hopefully you jumped for joy when I uploaded this chapter haha.

**Acja **– Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Wow, thank you very much. I really appreciate you saying that. Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy the story and stop whatever you're doing to read my future chapters

**Myshipsank** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Which would you prefer to happen the most haha? Although I will say that only one of those Sophie situations is going to happen, at least at first. Well I'm glad you have faith in me :)

**Dee **– Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Yeah I think you are but I love hearing everybody's opinions and I'm glad you're anxious about the whole reveal, hopefully that will make it better for you when it finally happens. You're right; she's not going to take it lightly. Unfortunately, there's still a wait before they're happily together but hopefully it will be worth the wait. Thank you very much :)

**Mars** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much and I apologise for killing you haha, that isn't my intention :P


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: Happy Valentines Day. I wanted to upload this tonight but I've been out all night so I haven't been able to read it through it one last time so this chapter may be rubbish haha. In spite of that, I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Little Things, Chapter 20:**

Rachel brushes some of her hair out of her eye as she rummages through her pockets for the key to her apartment. Behind her, Sophie is quietly humming to herself as she waits for her girlfriend to open the door.

"Do you want my key?"

Rachel shakes her head. "I know I have it somewhere." She continues to search before picking up her bag and checking that. Seconds later she pulls out the set of keys and waves them proudly at Sophie. She unlocks the door and enters her apartment, hearing Sophie close the door behind her.

Since the restaurant they ended up after the dress fitting had been closer to her apartment rather than Sophie, they decided to spend the night here for a chance. It's unusual but for some reason, Rachel always prefers to stay at Sophie's place rather than Sophie stay here. Maybe it's because Sophie's place is smaller and feels more homely than hers or maybe it's because she has a roommate whereas Sophie doesn't.

Whatever the reason, now Rachel feels out of place in Sophie's apartment and it doesn't feel homely anymore. That's why she suggested her place because then she didn't have to spend the night feeling uncomfortable.

"How come we hardly ever stay at your place?" Sophie questions as she picks up a photo frame containing Rachel and Kurt from one of their regionals competition.

"You live alone," Rachel states in an obvious fashion. "I live with Kurt, he'd disturb us."

Sophie chuckles softly. "You told me he's never here at night, he's usually with Blaine."

She did tell Sophie that because it's true. Why the two men aren't living together yet perplexes her when they practically spend every night together in one of their apartments. "You're staying here tonight."

Her girlfriend puts the photo frame back on the coffee table and walks towards her girlfriend who is standing in the kitchen. "Have you ever thought about maybe staying at my place for longer than a couple of nights?"

Rachel swallows hard. "Are you asking me if I've ever thought about moving in together?"

Sophie curls a strand of hair behind her ear. "Are you telling me you haven't?" Sophie retorts as she rests her elbows on the kitchen counter separating her and Rachel. "I mean, we're always spending the night at my place and don't you think it would just be easier if you didn't have to leave to grab some clothes before coming back for the next night?"

"Do you not think it's too soon?"

"We've been together for over a year," Sophie says simply. "I don't want to freak you out or anything so if you're not ready, just say no. I'm not going to push you into living with me."

If she's being honest with herself, she knew this question was coming. Sophie's right, they do spend most nights together and moving in together is the next natural step to take in their relationship but Quinn constantly plagues her mind nowadays and she doesn't think moving in with Sophie is going to do any good.

If anything, it's going to make things worse, should she ever find out.

"I'll think about it," Rachel replies after a minutes pause.

"That's all I ask."

Rachel smiles and pecks her girlfriend's cheek. "Do you want a glass of wine?"

"Please."

She opens the fridge and grabs the bottle of wine which is resting on the bottom shelf. Opening one of her cupboards she reaches for a wine glass only to curse silently under her breath that Kurt has moved them to a higher shelf. Sophie comes up behind her and reaches above her, grabbing the wine glass and bringing it down.

"Thank you," Rachel says gratefully as she closes the cupboard. She's told Kurt that the wine glasses need to stay on one shelf because any higher and she struggles to reach them. Part of her thinks he finds it funny that she can't reach.

She pours some wine into the glass before handing it to Sophie and placing the wine back in the fridge.

"You know you don't need to buy alcohol just for me," Sophie tells her once again because she's already had this discussion with her girlfriend. Every time she spends the day or the night at Rachel's apartment, her girlfriend always has a bottle of wine in the fridge should she want something to drink.

Occasionally Rachel will have a couple of sips and a few times she's actually had a glass of wine to herself but that has only happened on rare occasions such as Sophie's birthday.

"I don't mind," Rachel replies. "Your apartment is always filled with vegan food for me, why should I cater to your needs?"

"My needs?" Sophie questions playfully. "You make me sound like an alcoholic."

"I'm saying nothing."

Sophie gasps lightly and smacks her girlfriend's ass in a playful manner. "How dare you."

Rachel chuckles before taking her girlfriend's hand in her own and leading them towards the couch before sitting down. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"There's no beating around the bush with you is there?"

"Sorry," she mumbles quietly. She hadn't meant the question to just come out that quickly but ever since Sophie told her she needed to talk a couple of hours ago, Rachel hasn't been able to stop thinking about what could be on her girlfriend's mind.

Of course the curiosity about what Sophie wants to talk about has been coupled with the knowledge that Quinn is in love with her.

She still can't wrap her head around that announcement.

If she hadn't been in the adjoining cubicle and heard it inadvertently, would Quinn have ever told her?

It's understandable that Quinn hasn't told Rachel her true feelings because announcing you're in love with somebody isn't something you just say, especially in their predicament. She knew Quinn felt something for her but part of her still worried that she was a game to the blonde.

Quinn's past and what she's been told about the woman made her slightly worried that Quinn was using her.

Knowing that the blonde is in love with her has caused those worries to be subdued somewhat but there are still a few lingering in the back of her mind.

"Some of the 10th graders at my school are going on a skiing holiday the second week in March," Sophie tells her girlfriend before sipping her wine and placing the glass back on the coffee table.

Rachel frowns slightly at the fact that Sophie didn't put her glass on a coaster. It's such a simple thing to do and she has asked her girlfriend time and time again to do it but Sophie seems to ignore her and constantly puts it straight on her wooden coffee table.

She's sure Sophie doesn't do it on perfect but it frustrates her nevertheless.

She picks up one of the coaster and slides it under the glass.

Sophie grimaces guiltily. "Sorry, I guess I forgot."

Rachel brings her eyes to the other side of the table where the wood has been stained by a water ring. "You always do," she mumbles, too quiet enough for Sophie to hear. She pinches the bridge of her nose before looking at Sophie again.

"Where are they going skiing?"

"They're going to Bormio, an Italian skiing resort for ten days."

"Okay."

Sophie brushes some of her hair out of her eyes. "Well, Gerard was supposed to be one of the teachers going on the trip."

"Who?"

"Gerard, you've met him before," Sophie tells her. "He's middle aged, has a French accent and teaches Math."

Rachel visualises the description her girlfriend gives her and soon enough, the image of Gerard fills her mind. It's a little cloudy since she has only met him once. Sophie had a work party to attend and Rachel played the doting girlfriend and accompanied her, even though Sophie had warned her that the work parties were always insanely boring and told her she didn't have to come.

Rachel had gone anyway because she wanted to meet the people Sophie worked with every day. She wanted to show her girlfriend that she was interested in her job.

Interestingly, she never accompanied Sophie to the annual Christmas party.

"Supposed to be going?"

"He's not going to be able to now. His wife has just found out that she has breast cancer and obviously he doesn't want to leave her."

"The poor woman," Rachel murmurs quietly under her breath. "As awful as that is, what does it have to do with you?"

Her girlfriend fiddles with her fingers nervously. "I put my name down to be a chaperone months ago and they told me they didn't need me but now they do. They've asked me to take Gerard's place on the trip."

"You're going skiing?"

"I can tell them I can't make it; I can make up some excuse if you don't want me to go."

Rachel swallows before shaking her head. "No, don't be silly. You love skiing, why would you want to pass up the opportunity to go on a skiing holiday?"

"The bunch of adolescents that I'm accompanying is a pretty big turn off."

Rachel chuckles softly. "I'm sure they're not all bad, didn't you tell me that one of your English students was lovely and reminded you of somebody?"

"Emily," Sophie confirms. "Yeah, she's one of the few 10th graders I actually like. She reminds me of Quinn actually."

"Really? How?"

Sophie shrugs her shoulders. "I don't really know. In terms of her looks, she looks exactly how Quinn did when she was 16 and personality wise, she's very Quinn. It's hard to explain."

"Is she going on the trip?"

"Yeah but one person that I like shadowed between thirty others that I don't like isn't very good odds."

Rachel gives her girlfriend's hand a squeeze. "I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time."

"So you're okay with me going?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Sophie shrugs again and picks up her glass of wine. "I don't know."

Rachel scratches an itch above her eyebrow. "Why did you say that Santana and Brittany wouldn't like the news? What problem could they possibly have with you going on holiday with your school?" Rachel asks in a confused manner. "You said the trip was the second week in March so you're not going to miss their wedding."

"No, just their bachelorette parties."

"I thought they hadn't decided what to do for their bachelorette parties yet? I know Brittany hasn't."

Since the two women had some of the same friends, Rachel, Quinn and Sophie had been told that they were expected to attend both parties instead of just one.

She thinks back to the meal after the dress fitting where Brittany had explained to her bridesmaids that the plans surrounding her bachelorette party had yet to be finalised as she looked at Karen expectedly.

As the maid of honour it is duty to arrange something.

She quietly wonders what Quinn will arrange for Santana.

"Santana hasn't either," Sophie says. "At least not officially but I heard Quinn talking about Vegas as an idea and if that's the case, there's a high probability I'll miss it. I'm going to be landing back in New York on March 21st and if I know Santana, she won't want her hen night to be that close to her wedding."

"Neither will Brittany," Rachel adds. "It's hardly your fault; the school has requested that you go on this trip. They'll understand."

"I'm telling Santana tomorrow, I'm supposed to be having lunch with her and Quinn, if she shows up."

"Why wouldn't Quinn show up?"

"She's been really distant lately. I don't know if something is wrong with her or whether I've done something to upset her or piss her off but she seemed to be avoiding me."

Rachel swallows nervously. "I'm sure you're just being paranoid."

Sophie looks at her girlfriend briefly and nods slowly. She had been paranoid regarding Rachel's faithfulness to her so her girlfriend is probably right; she's probably just paranoid about Quinn.

She finishes her glass of wine in one fell swoop and ensures that she places it on the coaster this time.

"Do you want another glass?"

Sophie shakes her head before covering her mouth as she yawns. "I'm good thanks babe; I could do with just going to bed."

"I'll just wash your glass and then I'll be in."

Picking up the glass, she scoots past Sophie and heads towards the kitchen. Her eyes droop momentarily before she forces them open. She's just finished washing the wine glass when hands wrap around her waist from behind and lips starts placing feather like kisses on her shoulder.

Rachel stills at the contact. Her and Sophie haven't been intimate since before Christmas, nearly two months ago and she knows that Sophie has been wondering why, even if her girlfriend doesn't voice her concerns.

It's ridiculous and unbelievably stupid but somewhere in the back of her head is the thought that by allowing things to progress with Sophie, she is being dishonest and unfaithful to Quinn.

Why that bothers her though, she doesn't know. For all she knows, Quinn engaged in sexual intercourse with Karen a couple of weeks ago after their date and who know if Karen is the only girl that has captured Quinn's attention in the last couple of months.

Quinn doesn't have to prove anything to Rachel; she doesn't need to be faithful to her so for all Rachel knows, the blonde could have a harem of women in her apartment every night.

Just because she admitted to Santana that she was in love with Rachel doesn't mean she's decided to become celibate. Perhaps the knowledge that she's in love and can't act on it is pushing Quinn towards other women.

She shakes her head at her thoughts. She's the person in a relationship; she shouldn't feel guilty about hurting Quinn's feelings.

She should feel guilty about hurting Sophie.

Her girlfriend.

When her momentary paralysis seems to have ended, she spins around in her girlfriend's arms and presses her lips against Sophie's. Her hands find a home on the auburn-haired woman's hip and a moan escapes her lips as Sophie's tongue makes contact with her own.

For the briefest of moments, she loses herself in Sophie's touch. She loses herself and just enjoys the feel of Sophie's lips against her neck once more. She forgets about everything else but the moment is quickly shattered.

As her girlfriend's hand trail underneath her sweater, she's reminded of her last bittersweet kiss she shared with Quinn.

How Quinn's hands had delicately run over her skin, trailing her stomach as lightly as possible yet she still managed to leave a lasting impact.

How Quinn's hands had moved higher, much like Sophie's are doing right now.

How Rachel wouldn't have told Quinn to stop if the blonde hadn't stopped herself.

She pulls away Sophie and pinches the bridge of her nose.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just really tired." She feigns a yawn to try and make her reason sound more plausible. "I just want to go to bed."

Sophie leans forward and resumes kissing her girlfriend's neck. "I thought that was where we heading."

"I thought you were tired too."

"I suddenly feel wide awake."

Rachel swallows hard and closes her eyes at the sensation running through her body as Sophie's mouth continues kissing her neck, nipping lightly every now and again. "I'm not in the mood Sophie."

That causes Sophie to pull back and she runs her fingers through her hair. "You never seem to be in the mood anymore, what's going on?"

"Nothing is going on, I'm just tired. Are you suggesting that because I don't want to have sexual intercourse with you right now, there has to be something wrong?"

"No, of course not," Sophie replies quickly as she attempts to backtrack. "It's just…" She fiddles with the hem of Rachel's sweater in her fingers and Rachel doesn't stop her because she knows that Sophie isn't going to try anything else. "I miss you, I feel like something has shifted in our relationship and not in a good way.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to sound pathetic and that all I care about is sex but we haven't slept together in months and every time I try to start something, you always push me away," Sophie explains before ducking her. "Do you not find me attractive anymore?"

The question is asked with such fragility and worry that it breaks Rachel's heart. She stares at her girlfriend's auburn locks that frame her face perfectly, the very locks that she used to love wrapping around her finger as they kissed. The green eyes that she used to be able to spend hours just staring into because they had some mystical power over her. The body that is fit for a model and that Rachel spent hours envying because Sophie didn't seem to have any body issues.

Sometimes when they've slept together, Rachel has wanted to cover up because she doesn't look as good as Sophie but Sophie constantly tells that she looks perfect and that she loves her.

Everything about her.

And Rachel loves everything about Sophie, she does. She just wonders whether it's in the same way.

"Of course I do, you're gorgeous Sophie."

"Is something else wrong then?"

Rachel's tongue subconsciously darts out and licks her lips. "Nothing is wrong, I'm just…I'm really not in the mood tonight Sophie."

Sophie tugs down on her bottom lip and Rachel can tell that her girlfriend doesn't believe her. That Sophie knows something else is the matter, something that Rachel won't admit to.

"I might head back to my place tonight."

"I thought you were staying here," Rachel questions nervously.

"I was –"

Rachel entwines their fingers. "I don't want you to leave, I want you to stay." She gives her girlfriend a tender kiss to ensure that her girlfriend believes her and sighs in relief when she feels Sophie smile against her lips. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologise for," Sophie tells her. "I'm sorry for pushing the whole sex issue."

"You're not pushing it." Rachel brushes some of her hair behind her ear. "Do you want to go to bed?"

Sophie bobs her head slowly and kisses Rachel softly one last time.

"I love you."

Sophie smiles at the words. "I love you too."

* * *

Her fingers drum against her desk anxiously, her eyes fixated on the clock which hangs above Sylvester's office. She only has thirty minutes left before she can finish work. Since it's Valentines Day and she's single, her and Karen have agreed to drink, eat chocolate and enjoy each other's company.

Who needs a relationship?

For the first time in weeks, she has actually managed to keep her workload under control and all the necessary obituaries are written and ready for print.

If she has to take one positive from trying to stay away from Rachel, even though she's pretty sure it's the only one, it's that she's now more focused on her work.

Sylvester hasn't accused her of being lazy and awful in about two weeks and that's a record for the woman.

Whether her ability to focus is because she's free of distractions or simply because she needs a distraction she's not sure.

"Have you decided what we're doing for my bachelorette party yet?" Santana asks as she sits on Quinn's desk, kicking her feet aimlessly. "Don't try and be hilarious and organise a male stripper as some form of joke. I saw enough naked men in high school."

"What about a female stripper?"

Santana thinks about it for a while and the corner of her mouth curls upwards before she shakes her head. "Brittany would kill me if I had a stripper."

"Noted," Quinn mumbles under her breath. The idea of a stripper hadn't even crossed her mind so being told she can't organise one doesn't really bother her. "You may be surprised to hear that I've actually had a brilliant idea."

"Really?"

Quinn nods. "How would you feel about a road trip to Vegas?"

"Vegas?" Santana repeats. "As in Sin City, how do you think I'd feel about that Q. Of course I want to go to Vegas."

Quinn smiles proudly. "I thought you'd approve."

Santana grins at her. "Although obviously when you say road trip, that's not going to be happening. We're flying."

She pales at the thought of flying. Santana isn't aware of her fear of flying because Quinn's never admitted it to anybody but Sophie but Vegas has always appealed to her and the fact that they can drive there made it even more appealing. "What's wrong with a good old fashioned road trip?"

"We live in New York, you are aware of how long it will take us to drive there right?" Santana states. "If we head to Vegas on Friday after work, by the time we get there, we'll have to drive straight back. That will be the worst bachelorette party in history. Don't get me wrong Q, I love you and everything but I can't sit in a car with you for that long."

Quinn exhales heavily. "Right, of course."

Santana cocks her head to the side. "Hold up a minute, are you afraid of flying Q-ball?"

"What? Of course not. I just thought a road trip would be fun."

"You are," Santana says, ignoring her friend's denial. "Why would you suggest Vegas if you're afraid of flying?"

"I thought we could drive," Quinn answers quietly.

Santana sighs lightly before fiddling with her fingers. "I guess it's back to the drawing board for you then, good luck coming up with something better than Vegas."

"We don't need to change plans; we can still go to Vegas."

"No offence Q but I'm not spending five hours with you on a plane while you freak out about being in the air and worry that the plane is going to crash. You'll only piss me off more and more until one of the flight attendants calms you down or I end up sedating you myself."

As frightening and truthful as that statement is, her friend's eyes lit up when she mentioned Vegas. Santana has wanted to visit Las Vegas since she turned 21 but never had the chance so Quinn thought that her bachelorette party would be the perfect time to go.

Even though she doesn't want to fly, she's not letting her friend down.

"I'll be fine, we're going to Vegas."

"Are you sure?" Santana asks carefully because no matter how much she wants to go, she doesn't want Quinn to do something she's afraid of just for her. "I don't mind doing something like paintballing or a drunken girls' night out in New York."

"Vegas was my idea and that's what we're doing."

"When?" Santana questions with a hint of glee in her voice.

Quinn shrugs her shoulders. "Why don't you figure out when you have a weekend free from wedding planning and we can book the tickets."

Santana bobs her head quickly and her mouth opens to say something but the sound of Quinn's phone vibrating against the desk causes her mouth to close. Quinn picks it up and blinks quickly when she sees the name Rachel flashing at her.

"Are you going to answer that Q?"

Her finger hovers nervously over the reject button before she sighs lightly. "Do you mind?" She questions and although Santana huffs, she jumps off the desk and returns to her own desk. When she's confident that her friend is out of ear-shot, she presses the answer button.

"Hello.

"_I wasn't sure you were going to answer."_

"I almost didn't."

Rachel sighs into the phone. _"I'm glad that you did."_

Quinn presses her hand against her forehead at the sound of Rachel's voice. How is it possible for her to have this much of an affect over her? Strictly speaking, she doesn't even know that much about Rachel. She knows little things here and there but nothing that would even her a game in Mrs & Mrs.

"How can I help you?"

"_Can you meet me?"_

"Is something wrong?"

"_No."_

Quinn glances around to double check that Santana isn't lingering somewhere. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"_Please," _Rachel pleads into the phone.

She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth and bites down hard. "I'm at work."

"_After you've finished then?"_

If she keeps making excuses then Rachel will keep batting them away and continuingly ask Quinn to meet her. So in order to save them both some time and effort, Quinn sighs reluctantly into the phone.

"Where?"

"_Central Park, by the ice rink?" _

She looks at the clock before starting to drum her free fingers against the desk once more. "I'll be there in about an hour."

"_Thank you Quinn."_

"Bye."

She hangs up before Rachel can say anything else and buries her head in her hands. She only needed to do one thing, stay away from Rachel. It's been two weeks since she decided to take Santana's second option and Santana's and Brittany's dress fitting five days ago had been the first time she had seen or spoken to the brunette.

That meeting had been unavoidable though.

Meeting Rachel in an hour on the other hand is completely avoidable yet it's not going to stop her.

* * *

In an attempt to keep her hands warm, she shoves them into her pockets. Her dad always has cold hands due to his poor circulation and it seems that she has inherited that unfortunate trait. She leans against the railing overlooking Wollman Ice Rink and waits for Quinn. People constantly stake past her and when she looks at them, she can see couples holding hands, couples stealing a kiss before falling and couples helping each other back up.

Today is Valentines Day after all; they're all probably enjoying a date with the person they love.

A woman skates past her quickly before falling rather ungracefully and even though she can imagine that fall hurt, Rachel has to stifle a laugh. Somebody else is laughing quietly to themselves as they skate towards her and extend their hand to help the woman up. Rachel watches the couple silently and her heart pangs with jealously at the simple yet somehow romantic gesture.

She's never been ice skating before and even though she's walked past this ice rink countless times by herself and with Sophie, she's never ventured onto it.

"Did you call me to come here so we could skate?"

Rachel brings her attention from the ice rink and over her shoulder to see Quinn standing a short distance away from her, suitably dressed for the cold weather with all the usual apparel, a hat, scarf and a pair of gloves. She turns around so she's facing the blonde and can't help but smile at the pinkness gracing her cheeks.

She's unsure whether the pinkness is due to the cold weather or if Quinn is blushing.

Since the dress fitting the other day, the knowledge that Quinn is in love with her hasn't left her mind. It's all she can think about. Right now as she stares at the blonde, that knowledge hits her full force once more. Quinn is irrevocably gorgeous, it's irrefutable to try and deny that and from what Rachel has been told about Quinn, she can have anybody she wants.

Something which she apparently uses to her advantage.

As a result, the fact that Quinn wants her and that she's in love with her is overwhelming.

It makes her feel desired and that isn't something she's used to feeling.

Even though she knows Sophie wants her, there's something about Quinn wanting her that's different. Sophie wants her because she's her girlfriend whereas Quinn doesn't do relationships. Instead the blonde opts for one-night stands, never allowing herself time to care for somebody.

Yet Quinn cares for her.

She's in love with her.

Something about her has caused Quinn to fall in love with her and she doesn't know what.

"No," Rachel replies after Quinn clears her throat. "I can't skate."

Her head tilts to the side and she sends a lop-sided smile in the brunette's direction. "You can't skate?"

"In fairness, I've never actually attempted ice skating so I can't say with absolute certainty that I am unable to skate. For all I know, I could step on that ice and be magnificent. However, as I've never tried, I would say there isn't a very high probability that I'd be magnificent."

"You never know."

"That may be true but I guess until I try, we won't find out."

Quinn takes a seat forward and exhales heavily, watching the steam leave her mouth. "Do you want to try now?"

Rachel glances over her shoulder to the ice rink. "Not really."

"Really?" Quinn says as she comes to stand beside her friend. "I personally find ice skating rather freeing."

"You fall over."

"Only if you're not very good."

"Are you good?"

Quinn shrugs her shoulders lightly. "I'm alright, not magnificent but I know how to skate. My dad used to take me to this rink every Christmas when I was little."

"I'm sure you're simply being modest."

The blonde gives Rachel a half smile before crossing her arms and resting them on the railings. "Why did you call me? This really contradicts the whole staying away from each other thing."

"I'm fully aware that calling you out of the blue was unorthodox and disregarding what you told me the other week but I just –" Rachel scuffs her feet against the ground nervously. "I wanted to see you."

Even though her heart soars with adoration at that statement, Quinn shakes her head. "Rachel –"

"I know calling you and requesting that you meet me in Central Park after work was incredibly presumptuous. I mean, it's Valentines Day, you could have had company this evening or plans so I apologise if I've disrupted anything."

"You do realise you ramble right?"

"I have been told that I have a predisposition to ramble yes."

"As long as you already know." She tugs at her hat gently, pulling it down that little bit further so her ears received more protection from the blistering cold. "It may have presumptuous of you to think I wouldn't have company or plans but it was correct nevertheless."

"Why don't you have plans?"

"I just don't," Quinn deadpans. "Shouldn't you be spending today with Sophie?"

"I'm supposed to be seeing her in about an hour," Rachel answers quietly. "Its parent-teacher conference night at her school tonight, although I'm sure most parents won't show since its Valentines Day and they probably already have plans. Sophie isn't going to finish work till about 8."

Quinn glances at her watch to see that it is a little after 6.30. "I'm sure she'll have something amazing planned for you, she's always loved Valentines Day. She's a hopeless romantic at heart."

"She's not the only one," Rachel murmurs quietly before furrowing her eyebrows lightly. "Are you not a fan of today?"

Quinn gestures towards the path behind them with her head, silently asking if Rachel wanted to walk with her rather than stay still. The walk will probably help warm them up a little. The other woman bobs her head and follows Quinn lead until they reach the path where she switches positions so she's walking beside the blond.

"It's not a real holiday; it's just a day that stores and companies use as a way of making money from couples. If you're in a relationship then there's an added expectation to do something romantic and if you're single, you feel like shit because you have to watch couples fawning over each other while you eat chocolates to yourself and complain about how you don't have somebody to spend Valentines Day," Quinn explains, remembering the first Valentines Day she endured after breaking up with Alison. She had spent the night complaining to Santana about it was an unfair day and biased towards couples. Why didn't they have a day dedicated to singletons?

Two bottles of wine later and a box of chocolates to herself, Quinn swore never to let Valentines Day affect her again.

"Wow, pessimistic much?"

"You say pessimistic, I prefer the term realist."

Rachel allows herself to laugh before scuffing her feet against the ground as she walks. "Perhaps the reason you dislike Valentines Day so much is because you don't have somebody to spend it with?"

Quinn tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'm spending it with you right now."

Even though she shouldn't be here and she knows that Rachel is going to leave shortly to spend the rest of Valentines Day with her girlfriend, she can't pretend that it isn't nice to see Rachel.

She used to smile at the sight of Rachel but now she's realised that she's actually love with her, she smiles whenever the brunette crosses her mind. Right now, she just wants to take Rachel's hand in her own and act like they're a couple.

Just for a second.

Nobody would know.

Rachel's cheeks hold a tinge of pink and she ducks her head. "Have you ever spent Valentines Day with somebody?"

Quinn places her right hand in her pocket so she won't be tempted to hold Rachel's left hand. "Yes."

"With Alison?"

She swallows nervously but nods her head. "Yeah, with Alison."

"What did you do?"

"Why are you so inquisitive all of a sudden?"

Rachel flinches at the question; she didn't want to annoy the blonde. "I guess nosiness is one of my bad traits."

"You have bad traits?" Quinn says, surprise lacing her voice "Somehow I find that hard to believe."

When Rachel's cheeks darken, Quinn mentally berates herself for saying that because what is happening right now between the two of them is the polar opposite of staying away from each other.

"I'm sorry for prying; you can ignore the question and tell me to mind my own business. I had no right to ask you that."

"I cooked for her and then we watched Pretty Woman at my house, how cliché right?"

"There's nothing wrong with cliché."

Quinn scoffs silently, not believing Rachel. "It's not what I had initially wanted to do. There was a fair in town for a couple of weeks and the dates coincided with Valentines Day. She had a thing for fairs and especially Ferris Wheels so I wanted to take her there and then kiss her once we got to the top of the Ferris Wheels."

"Why didn't you?"

She exhales heavily and glances at Rachel. "We'd only been together for two months and her and Sophie hadn't been broken up for too long. Santana told me that she was taking Sophie to the fair to try and cheer her up and after she told me, I changed my plans. I didn't want it to seem like I was flaunting Alison in front of Sophie."

A couple of joggers run past Rachel and the shock causes her to step closer to Quinn, almost as if she's seeking protection. Quinn notices the movement in the corner of her eye and even though her head is ordering her to put some distance between them once again, she doesn't move.

"Is that the only time you've been with somebody on this day?"

"No," Quinn replies. "We had another Valentines Day together but she spent it in Georgia with her granddad because he was unwell."

"And now you don't like the day."

Maybe Rachel's right; maybe she doesn't like the day as a result of being single. Sure she's spent a couple of Valentines Days in bars picking up single women who are depressed that they're alone but the only time she's actually enjoyed Valentines Day had been when she spent it with Alison.

"As lovely as this conversation is, I don't think you wanted to see me to discuss my reasoning behind disliking today."

"No, I didn't."

"Then why did you want to see me?" Quinn questions softly. "We're not supposed to be seeing each other."

She's well aware that she is sounding like a broken record but that doesn't mean that what she is saying is becoming any less true.

"You didn't have to come."

Quinn gives her a half-smile. "Of course I was going to come."

It's true, she would probably always come if Rachel asked her to. Karen was right, no matter how hard she wants to stay away from the brunette, all Rachel needs to do is call her and she's there without too much of a fight.

A part of her hates the hold Rachel has over her without even trying.

Rachel takes a seat on a nearby bench and waits silently for Quinn to sit beside her. The blonde complies immediately and removes her hat, running her fingers through her hair.

It's just one of her many nervous habits.

"Artie called me the other day."

She whips her head up at Rachel's announcement. Even though she expected him to cast her in Les Miserables, especially after sending Quinn a thumbs up after Rachel's audition, the fact that Rachel hadn't mentioned the play again caused her to worry that he hadn't casted her.

"What did he say?"

Rachel's face breaks out into a wide grin. "I'm going to be Eponine."

Quinn beams at the news, her smile matching Rachel's. Her arms wrap around the other woman before she can stop herself. Rachel relaxes into the hug and smiles as Quinn gives her a slight squeeze with glee.

She's not sure why but part of her had feared that things would be awkward between the two of them now Rachel knows how Quinn really feels but there is no awkwardness.

As she buries her head in the crook of Quinn's neck and inhales the smell of Quinn's perfume, she wonders maybe whether she's in love with her.

It's obvious that she has feelings for her and she doesn't bother denying them but she hadn't contemplated the possibility of being in love with Quinn.

She hadn't let herself contemplate it because she wasn't sure how Quinn felt and because she has a girlfriend.

Now she knows how Quinn feels, it causes her to question how deep her feelings actually are rather than pretending that her feelings are just superficial.

After a couple of seconds too long, Quinn releases her hold on the other woman and shuffles further back on the bench.

"Sorry."

"Don't be."

"I can't believe you're going to be on Broadway," Quinn gushes with pride. "That's unbelievably amazing Rachel. I knew you'd get a part; Artie would have been an idiot if he didn't cast you. You're a star."

Her heart warms at the compliment. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without you," Rachel replies. "I still can't believe you organised an audition for me. I don't think anybody has ever done something that nice for me, you really have no idea how much it meant to me."

"I think I have a pretty good idea."

Rachel trails her tongue along her top teeth. "One day I will return the favour and give you something that you've always dreamed of. What do you want and I'll do my best to arrange it?"

Quinn smiles and rakes her eyes over Rachel's body subtly. If she had been asked that question a couple of months ago, her answer would have probably been something shallow and superficial but now she knows exactly what she wants.

Yet again, what she wants is something she can't have.

A couple of months ago she wouldn't have organised something as extravagant as a Broadway audition for somebody she barely knew.

Rachel was changing so much about her without even trying.

"I told you, give me a free ticket for your opening night and I'll consider your debt paid," Quinn tells her with a playful glint in her eyes.

"So you still want to come to my opening night?"

Quinn cocks her head to the side. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You said we had to stay away from each other."

She looks at the distance, or rather the lack of it, between them on the bench and chuckles dryly. "Yeah, because we're doing such a good job of that right now."

* * *

A/N 2:

Guest - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Wow, thank you very much. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I appreciate the kudos by the way :)

Flyingpinguin1 – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I really like that song, I haven't heard it in ages though so thank you for mentioning it because now I've been listening to it again. Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything crack when the reveal comes out. I agree when you say the lyrics are perfect for how Rachel is feeling so thanks for letting me know :)

Chloe – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) She's not going to get together with Quinn just yet but she is using that newfound knowledge to stop her relationship with Sophie progressing so it's a bit of a stalemate. Thank you :)

Guest – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Was this update soon enough for you?

Allovirme – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you, I'm really glad to hear that you enjoy my writing style. When I said there would be 40 chapters, I think that might have been an overestimation but you never know. However, no, the reveal won't be in the penultimate chapter. The reveal is happening within 5-7 chapters I think (but that may change so don't hold me to that haha) and for the rest of the story, it will show Quinn and Rachel dealing with their new relationship and the fallout from their 'affair'. How many chapters that process will be though, I don't know but it will be more than one chapter.

Guest – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Well I'm glad this story has you hooked! As you can see from this chapter, Rachel is doing some of the chasing. She's going to find ways to talk to Quinn and she will show up unannounced in a few chapters. It's interesting you have a feeling that Sophie and Karen were going to get together because that has never been my intention and I highly doubt it's going to happen but I like how people want them together.

Elmoooooooo – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I will say that Sophie isn't going to inadvertently hear about Quinn and Rachel. She still has a little longer of blissful ignorance I'm afraid. I can promise that you will get less angsty Faberry at some point :) But surely the longer it goes on and the more people that know just adds to the drama? At least that's what I'm hoping. Thank you :)

Anon – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) It really is mind boggling, Quinn was supposed to be a distraction from thinking about her dad and now she's become a distraction all of her own and it's all Rachel can think about. I'm glad you find the fact that they're both struggling satisfying, this story was never going to one-sided and was always going to involve them both trying to deal with their feelings. Quinn because she's not used to being in love with somebody and Rachel because she never expected to feel something for somebody else whilst in a relationship.

Yeah I agree with you. She can ignore what anybody else wants but Brittany has her wrapped around her little finger. The bridemaids fitting might not be the only thing they combine ;)

I'm glad to hear that :) I'm guessing you like the awkward scenes? Even though Karen isn't dating Quinn, neither woman has actually quashed Rachel's nerves yet, neither feeling that they have to so poor Rachel is jealous of a relationship that isn't real. She will eventually stop question if they had sex in her head and actually voice her question to Quinn even though, once again she won't have any right to.

Thank you very much :) It is those good traits that made her fall for Sophie yet she's thinking that it might not be enough anymore. There's going to be more scenes where she sees how perfect Sophie is for her yet she still finds herself wanting Quinn.

Definitely, Brittany is going to be Rachel's confidant just like Santana is Quinn's. Although the advice given by Brittany might differ to the advice given by Santana because although they're friends, Brittany has a lot more loyalty to Rachel than Sophie because she doesn't know Sophie that well.

You were close with her not attending the wedding; instead she's missing the bachelorette parties which is useful ;) She can't miss the wedding, nothing exciting would happen if she wasn't there ;)

You should bang their heads together haha. They're not walking around on eggshells as much in this chapter but it's not completely disappeared just yet. Soon.

Yay! I'm really glad you love Karen. It seems people have taken too her and I'm so happy about that. She's the only one that isn't biased or conflicted by knowing both women so she can say what everybody else is thinking.

I know, how careless of them to discuss it in public when anybody could have heard. If they keep being careless like that, something is going to go terribly wrong. I wanted people to think it was Sophie and for a fraction of a second, I actually contemplated making it Sophie but then I decided against it. It wasn't the right time for Sophie to find out. As you'll have just read, Rachel hadn't allowed herself to think she was in love with Quinn but now she has this new knowledge, you're right, she has to start making decisions. It's not a flirtatious affair anymore; more than one person's heart is now on the line. It will stop soon.

This wedding is going to have to live up to expectations haha! Can I just say, I love how long your reviews are and how much detail you go into. I really appreciate you taking the time to tell me what you think :)

Guest – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you!

Lealover – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) As you can see from this chapter, she's not breaking things off with Sophie just yet but she will follow her heart.

Myshipsank – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) It's interesting that that is what you would prefer to happen because right now, my plan is for her to freak out. I'm glad the absence of Sophie-Quinn interaction is making you nervous but there is going to be some soon, whether that will make you more nervous though, who knows? ;) I think she is sort of this perfect best friend and girlfriend and it's the perfectness of her that possibly leads Rachel to Quinn because she's not perfect like Sophie. Although, when the reveal comes out, you will see a different side of Sophie.

VGA – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) You're most welcome :)

Polux – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) The fact that everybody knows about it but Sophie is going to affect the reveal that little bit more because it's not just Quinn and Rachel lying to her. Thank you very much :) I'm glad you're enjoying the story.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

**Chapter 21:**

"Have you thought any more about what we talked about the other day?"

Rachel peers over her glass at Sophie who is staring at her expectantly. "We've talked about a lot of things these last few days; you'll have to be more specific."

Sophie sips at her own coffee before brushing some of her hair behind her ear. "About moving in together."

She swallows nervously at the comment. Truth is, she hasn't even contemplated Sophie's suggestion about moving in together, she hasn't allowed herself to. Her mind has been preoccupied with other things, mainly Quinn. Somehow, Rachel doesn't think that Sophie will take too kindly to the news that moving in together hasn't been at the forefront of her mind, instead the one thing she spends most of the day thinking about nowadays is a certain blonde.

Sophie's best friend to be precise.

"I told you I would think about it."

"I know you did, it's just –" Sophie taps the edge of the table with her free hand as she sips her coffee. A small amount of froth remains on her top lip before she licks it away. "It's quite nerve wracking putting something like that out there and not being given a definitive answer. All I can think of is that you don't want to move in with me."

"I don't not want to move in with you."

"That's a double negative," Sophie states. "Does that mean you do?"

Rachel breathes in heavily. "I still need some more time to think about it. It's only been five days and there are things to consider."

"Like what?"

"You tolerate my daily morning and evening ritual now but if we had to share a bathroom, you may start getting annoyed at my prolonged use of the bathroom when you're trying to get ready for work."

"I happen to find your daily morning and evening ritual adorable actually."

"There's Kurt to consider as well," Rachel says, ignoring Sophie's latest comment. "I don't want to just leave him on his own to deal with rent. He can't afford our apartment by himself."

"He could always ask Blaine to move in with him or move in with Blaine," Sophie suggests. "Why aren't they living together anyway? They've been dating for over two years."

Rachel sips her latte. "They tried living together for a couple of months last year and they started arguing more than normal," she tells her girlfriend. "They rushed into living together and now they're taking their time."

"Which is what you think we should do."

"I just don't want to rush into anything, there's no need to rush."

The auburn-haired woman bobs her head in agreement but Rachel can see the disappointment flash behind her eyes. She knows Sophie wants them to live together and maybe if she hadn't met Quinn, the decision to move in together would have been an easy one.

She'd have probably said yes straightaway.

Growing up she would love to read fairy-tales because no matter what happened, they always had a happy ending. Initially she thought her happy ending lay with Sophie but then she met Quinn and like with most things now, she's not sure anymore.

"I won't bring it up again."

The disappointment rests behind blue eyes and it's enough to make Rachel feel guiltier. She reaches across the table and places her hand over her girlfriend's. "I've not said no."

"I know."

At least Sophie has only asked her to move in together, it would have been ten times worse if Sophie had decided she wanted to become engaged. Rachel would have found that harder to say no to. Not because she feels desperate to marry Sophie but because she's not sure she could say no to a proposal.

If somebody risks everything by proposing, hearing the word no must truly be devastating and Rachel wouldn't want to inflict that on anybody.

The subject of moving in together is dropped after that and Rachel uses the silence to mindlessly flip through the magazine Sophie had bought earlier. It doesn't contain important world news, rather endless drivel and gossip about the celebrity world. Sophie has a slight interest in celebrity gossip but Rachel has never shared that interest.

"I'll be back in a second babe," Sophie states as she stands up and walks past Rachel towards the counter.

Rachel glances over her shoulder to see what has taken Sophie's attention and she feels her heart beat that little bit faster, only not due to excitement but rather nerves. Sophie is talking animatedly to Artie, the director of Les Miserables. Even though she had been rather preoccupied with completing her impromptu audition to focus on the people that were judging her, she recognises the man immediately.

It's not like she hasn't told Sophie about the audition and her subsequent casting in the show on purpose, it just sort of slipped her mind whenever they were together. She had felt an uncontrollable need to inform Quinn but that need hasn't existed with Sophie. Her girlfriend has always been supportive of her choice to be on Broadway and when Rachel received an audition for Broadway before her daddy passed away, Sophie had been thrilled.

She had told Rachel that she would easily be cast; she was made to be on that stage.

That chance slipped through her fingers but when she finally received another chance, she didn't tell Sophie.

Now she is actually going to be on Broadway and she still hasn't told her girlfriend.

The person that she should have told first.

Sophie waves at her and she nervously waves back, not failing to notice how Artie waves at her as well, a small smile gracing his lips. She can feel her cheeks flush at the knowledge that they're talking to each other and he could possibly be informing Sophie about her audition.

Her girlfriend shouldn't have to find out second-hand yet that is looking more and more likely right now and Rachel isn't making any movement to stop it.

She swallows nervously as Sophie walks back towards her, Artie wheeling himself beside her. "Rach, I want you to meet Artie," she says as she comes to rest at the table. "We went to high school together; he was actually my date to a Sadie Hawkins dance."

Artie chuckles. "Obviously we went as friends," he clarifies before pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Thank you for introduction Sophie but we've actually already met. How are you Rachel?"

Rachel gives him a tight-lipped smile. "I'm fine thank you, how are you?"

Artie doesn't notice the furrowed brow Sophie is sporting but Rachel does and purposely avoids her eyes. "I'm okay; my wife is dropping hints about a birthday present she wants which is a little pricey so I'm trying to dissuade her but it will prove pointless."

Rachel bobs her head along with him politely.

"I hope you're preparing for rehearsals."

"I am, don't worry."

Sophie frowns harshly and Rachel wonders how much longer she can keep her eyes trained on the table for.

He glances over his shoulder as the barista calls his order. "That's mine so I better be going. It was nice to see you again Sophie," Artie announces before directing his attention back to Rachel. "I'll be seeing you at rehearsals Rachel and you must say thank you to Quinn for me because without her, my Eponine wouldn't be anywhere near as good."

She flushes at the compliment. "Okay."

Artie wheels himself away from the couple and Sophie uses his disappearance to sit back down opposite her girlfriend. "Do you want to explain to me what that was about? How do you know Artie? What rehearsals? What does Quinn have to do with anything?"

"I was actually going to talk to you about that later today," Rachel lies quietly.

"Talk to me about what?"

She scratches a non-existent itch above her eyebrow. "Can we maybe have this conversation somewhere a little bit more private?" She asks, noticing how the teenage girls sitting on the adjacent table seemed to be slightly more invested in this conversation than they should be.

"Why?"

"Sophie."

Sophie sighs before nodding and standing, grabbing her coat from the back of her chair and shrugging it on. She turns around to see Rachel still sitting on the chair. "I thought you wanted to go."

"I didn't mean right now."

"Well I'd rather have this conversation right now so we can do it here or at your place, your choice."

Rachel huffs quietly but shrugs her own coat on and stands, following Sophie out of the coffee shop.

* * *

She throws her keys onto the kitchen counter as Sophie closes the door behind her. The trip back to her apartment had been made in silence and it's unnerving for Rachel. She knows that Sophie is going to be hurt that she didn't divulge something so important but what is worrying her more, is how Sophie will react to the knowledge that she knows Quinn a little bit more than she's suggested.

Sophie crosses her arms as she rests against the door. "Well."

"Artie's directing a revival of Les Miserables on Broadway and I'm going to be playing the character of Eponine."

The confusion and slight anger disappears from Sophie's face and is replaced with a wide smile. "That's fantastic news, congratulations Rachel. Why didn't you tell me you were auditioning?"

"I didn't even know, it was a surprise."

"A surprise?" Sophie asks slowly. "Is that why Artie told you to thank Quinn for him? Did she organise an audition for you?"

Rachel pauses briefly. It would be easy to lie, she seems to be getting better at lying but for the first time in a long time, she actually tells her girlfriend the truth.

"Yes."

Sophie furrows her brows and runs her tongue over her top teeth. The happiness she showed on her face at the initial news has dissipated now. "Why on earth would Quinn organise that for you? Last thing I knew, you didn't really speak to her."

"I don't," Rachel says quickly and just like that, she's back to lying. "She drove me home after Brittany's dance recital back in December. I told you about that."

Sophie nods but doesn't say anything so Rachel takes that as her cue to continue.

"She suggested that we make an attempt to get to know each other a little bit since I'm your girlfriend and you're her best friend. You told me that you wanted me to get along with her so I knew it was important for you so I tried my best," Rachel continues.

She probably tried a little bit too hard.

"She told me that she worked for the New York Times and I told her that I was attempting to make my way onto Broadway. I didn't think anything of it and I presumed she had forgotten but next thing I knew she was telling me that I had an audition for Les Miserables."

"How did she find out about the show?"

Rachel shrugs her shoulders. "She found out Artie was directing it and since she knew him from high school, she must have decided to ask him."

"I know Artie too, she could have told me about it. You know I would have organised an audition for you."

"I know you would have."

"Helping you to achieve your dream is awfully nice of her; I don't remember the last thing Quinn did something that nice for somebody she didn't really know."

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"Did she expect anything in return for this favour?"

Rachel frowns harshly. "What kind of question is that?"

"Don't get me wrong Rachel but you don't know Quinn like I do," Sophie states as she moves away from the door and comes to rest opposite Rachel, the kitchen counter acting as a barrier between them, even though the proverbial gap between them now extends further than a kitchen counter can.

At least on Rachel's part.

"Quinn's always been a little bit selfish and she doesn't tend to do things unless she wants something in return. When it comes to women, she'll do anything to get their attention."

That can't be true, Quinn's better than that surely.

"I thought she was your best friend, you don't seem to think too highly of her."

Sophie rubs her eyes harshly. "I'm not trying to mean, I love Quinn and she's like a sister to me. I'm just telling you what she's like, even if you ask her yourself, she'll tell you exactly what I've just told you."

Rachel snaps her head up, that's intrigued her. "What your point?"

"My point is, she could have had an ulterior motive."

"She doesn't want anything from me; it was just a simple act of kindness."

"If it was just a simple act of kindness, why didn't you tell me? Why did you keep it a secret for…how long has it been? Weeks? Months?"

"I only found out I'd been cast the day before the bridesmaids dress fitting."

"That was nearly two weeks ago," Sophie states. "Why didn't you tell me? Were you even planning on telling me? If Artie hadn't accidentally let it slip, would you have brought it up?"

"Of course I would." Rachel shrugs helplessly. "I've had a lot on my mind with the wedding and I guess it just slipped my mind."

"Slipped your mind?" Sophie repeats slowly. "You're finally able to do what you've dreamed about since you were a little girl and it slipped your mind. When you had your audition for Wicked last year, you spent days talking to me about it. It was the only thing you could think about; it was the first thing you talked about in the morning and the last thing you talked about before you went to bed. I find it incredibly difficult to believe that you forgot about this.

"I had planned to tell you but then you asked me to move in with you and I started thinking about that," Rachel lies and her eyes flutter shut.

"I didn't ask you to move in with me, I asked you to think about it," Sophie defends lowly. "Are you trying to tell me that you're only capable of thinking about one thing at a time?

"That's not what I meant," Rachel bites back. "I just meant…moving in is a massive step so it occupied my thoughts more than my role on Broadway."

"Have you told Quinn?"

Rachel shakes her head because she knows that definitely won't go down well with Sophie and will probably lead to an argument. "Why would I?"

Sophie leans back ever so slightly. "She organised a surprise audition for you, it seems like the least you could do is tell her that you got the part."

"I don't go out of my way to talk to her."

That's lie number three so far.

Sophie taps her fingers against the counter. "When was your audition?"

"A couple of days after the New Year."

A short laugh is emitted from the auburn-haired woman. "When you spent the day with Kurt?"

Rachel frowns lightly. "What?"

"When my mom came to visit and I wanted you to grab lunch with us, you said Kurt needed you because he was having trouble with Blaine. That was a couple of days after the New Year. Where you really with Kurt?"

"No."

"So you lied to me."

"I wouldn't say I lied to you, rather omitted the truth."

"Have you lied to me about anything else?"

Rachel frowns. "Like what?"

"Things haven't been the same between us lately and you can't pretend that you haven't noticed. Nothing's changed on my end but I'm thinking maybe something has with you."

"Nothing's changed."

"Is that why you always seem to stiffen whenever I try to be intimate with you?"

Rachel sighs heavily and shakes her head. "Why does it always seem to be about sex with you?"

"It's not always about sex with me," Sophie shouts, running her fingers through her hair. "I just want to know why my girlfriend doesn't seem to want me to touch her anymore."

"You're reading into things too much."

"That's not an answer."

"I don't have an answer for you, there's nothing wrong."

Sophie tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "If you'd have told me that a couple of months ago, I'd have believed you but now –"

"Now you don't?"

The sound of keys in the lock causes both women to glance at the door and only seconds later, the door opens and Kurt enters carrying two grocery bags. The bags block his view and it's only when he puts them down on the kitchen counter that he notices Sophie and Rachel standing a little way in front of him.

"I didn't realise you were in. I thought you were spending the day together," Kurt states before he glances between the two women. "Have I interrupted something?"

"No."

Both women answer him at the same time and Sophie fiddles with her watch. "I was just going actually," she says as she brushes past Kurt. "Nice seeing you Kurt," she says before she opens the door and leaves the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

"What's going on with you two?" He asks lightly. Unlike him and Blaine who share quite a few arguments every now and again, Sophie and Rachel hardly ever had arguments. He presumed it was just because they were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship but the look on his roommate's face makes him think that the honeymoon phase might finally be over.

"Nothing."

"Rachel."

Rachel turns around to face him and just for a second, she wants to tell him everything.

She wants to tell him that she's having an emotional affair with Quinn that has been physical in the past.

She wants to tell him that she thinks her feelings for Quinn run a lot deeper than she ever anticipated.

She wants to tell him that she thinks she might be falling out of love with Sophie but none of those things come out.

Instead she opens the fridge and pulls out one of the bottles of wine she has in stock for Sophie. "Do you want a glass?"

"You don't drink."

She holds her finger up. "I don't always drink," she corrects. "Now, I think I want to."

Kurt frowns as she opens the bottle and pours a substantial amount of wine into a glass. He grabs a glass from the cupboard and places it beside her glass. If she's insistent on drinking, he's not going to let her drink the entire bottle.

* * *

She pours the remaining wine into two separate glasses before carrying the glasses over to the couch, careful not to spill any wine. She has always been that little bit clumsy.

"You know, you really should have brought two bottles, we can finish one bottle far too quickly."

"Maybe we don't need two bottles, maybe we should just slow down on the first."

She hands the glass to her friend before taking a seat beside her on the couch with a laugh. "That doesn't make sense, you're being ridiculous."

Karen laughs as well before taking a sip of her wine. "There's another bottle in my bag anyway."

"You're a girl after my own heart aren't you?"

Karen smiles. "I think somebody already has your heart."

Quinn pauses at that comment. Ever since Karen guessed that she was in love with Rachel, the dark-haired woman will make passing comments such as that. She knows that Karen doesn't mean them in a negative way but that doesn't stop Quinn's heart from constricting a little each time because every time Karen mentions Rachel, it's a reminder that she can't have her.

"Why didn't you give me the wine? I could have put it in the fridge," Quinn asks, trying to change the topic.

"It's red wine, I thought we could mix things up for once," Karen replies as she swirls her wine around gently. "All we ever seem to drink is white. You do like red right?"

"I like any wine," Quinn tells her, emphasising her point by sipping at her wine and moaning appreciatively. "Do you know what you're organising for Brittany's bachelorette party yet?"

"Can I detect a hint of smugness in that slightly condescending tone?" Karen replies playfully. "I'm guessing you've sorted out Santana's."

"I have and I have to say, I think it's pretty impressive."

"Well it's going to have to be to beat my idea."

Quinn quirks her eyebrow in curiosity. "Colour me intrigued, what's your idea?"

Karen sips her wine with a smile. "Las Vegas." Quinn releases a loud chuckle at that revelation. "What's so funny?"

"That is exactly what I suggested to Santana and she was on board immediately."

Karen's smile widens into a grin. "We've organised the same bachelorette parties for the pair of them, I swear Quinn, we're too alike it's rather scary."

"Since I'm supposed to be going on both bachelorette parties, it doesn't make sense to go twice."

"No, I guess it doesn't."

Quinn tilts her head to the side. "How do you think they'd feel about combining their bachelorette parties?"

Karen shrugs her shoulders lightly. "It's supposedly their last night of freedom; would you want to spend that with your future wife? It certainly limits what you can do."

"What do you think they're going to do? My guess is that they'll both drink far too much and that's about as much excitement as we'll get from them. Santana has already forbidden a stripper, is Brittany letting you get one?"

"I haven't actually broached the subject with her," Karen replies quietly. "I don't think she'd appreciate one either though."

"So, Las Vegas is going to play host to both Santana's and Brittany's bachelorette parties, I don't think Las Vegas is ready."

Karen laughs loudly. "Are you going to let your hair down Q?"

She thinks about how a joint bachelorette party will mean that she's going to be spending the weekend confined to the same hotel as Sophie and Rachel. She'll have to spend the weekend watching them be a happy couple whilst she pines pathetically over Rachel.

"Maybe I will."

* * *

Quinn finishes fluffing up the pillows before walking out of the spare bedroom. They had drunk the second bottle of wine a lot quicker than the first one and Karen decided that she couldn't be bothered to get a cab home, instead announcing that she would be staying over.

Quinn didn't really have a choice in the matter but she doesn't mind.

She appreciates the company.

"The spare bed is all made up for you."

Karen raises her head from the book she's reading on the couch. "Do you not trust yourself in the same bed as me Q?"

Quinn laughs. "Please, if anybody can't trust themselves, it's you. Let's not forget that you kissed me the other day."

Karen scoffs quietly. "It was Valentine's Day and you plied me with wine and chocolate, I wanted to show my gratitude," she explains before waving her hand in the air. "Besides, it was only a peck."

"Keep telling yourself that babe," Quinn replies with a wink before running her fingers through her hair.

Karen opens her mouth to send a witty retort in Quinn's direction but a fierce knock at the front door distracts her. "Are you expecting somebody?"

Quinn shakes her head. "What time is it?"

"Nearly midnight."

The knock on the door becomes impossibly louder and Quinn rubs the back of her neck before walking towards the door and opening it slowly. The wide variety of horror movies she has watched since the age of 15 has caused her subconscious to create a scenario where there is a killer behind her door.

Even though that's ridiculous, she still takes care opening the door.

She allows herself to breathe a sigh of relief when she sees who is standing on the other side of the door. A wide smile graces her face at the sight of the brunette hair and brown eyes that appear to be slightly glazed.

"What are you doing here?"

Rachel stumbles forward, placing her hands on Quinn's shoulders to steady her.

"Are you drunk?" She asks, as she takes in Rachel's eyes once more and her unsteadiness on her feet.

"Are you?"

Quinn leans back ever so slightly at the stench of alcohol wafting towards her from Rachel's breath. She's definitely been drinking and Quinn's willing to guess that it wasn't just a glass or two. Rachel must have been drinking for some time. "How did you get here?"

The brunette tilts her head to the side as she attempts to remember. "I think I walked."

"You walked?" Quinn states with shock lacing her voice. "From where? Do you know how dangerous that could have been? You're drunk and you decided to take a walk around New York at midnight. You're not in Ohio anymore Rac –"

A finger pressed against her lips haphazardly silences her attempt at admonishing Rachel. "You're talking far too much."

Quinn grabs her keys from the cabinet beside the door. "You and I are going to get a taxicab and I'm taking you home."

"Will you stay with me?"

"That's not a good idea."

Rachel crosses her arms and pouts solidly. "Then I don't want to go home."

"Right now you're drunk so you're not even sure what you're saying."

Rachel seems somewhat hurt by that statement, even in her drunken stupor. "I know what I'm saying."

Quinn glances over her shoulder to inform Karen that she needs to take Rachel home but won't be long and Rachel uses the blonde's momentary distraction to her advantage and slips past her into the apartment.

Sensing movement beside her, Quinn spins around and groans as she sees Rachel sitting down on the couch beside Karen. With a sigh, she closes the door before walking towards both woman and taking a seat on the chair closest to Rachel.

"This isn't me taking you home."

"Are you on a date?" Rachel asks, a little bit too loudly in Karen's direction. "Did you know that Quinn doesn't date?"

"We're not on a date," Karen replies, clearly amused by the brunette's drunken antics.

Even though having a drunk Rachel in her apartment when they're supposed to stay away from each other isn't how she though the night with Karen would go, Quinn has to admit, Rachel does make a rather adorable drunk.

"Rachel –"

"Have you slept with her?" Rachel questions seriously and Quinn feels herself blush at the forward question.

"Rachel, you need to stop talking."

"You're not allowed to sleep with her," Rachel continues, pointing at Karen and accidentally hitting the British woman's cheek with her finger. "I forbid it."

"Rachel," Quinn tries once more.

Rachel turns her attention to the blonde and gives her a serious stare. "I forbid you to sleep with her."

"Karen," Karen supplies but Rachel isn't paying any attention to her.

"Thanks for letting me know," Quinn states, smiling lightly as Rachel shuffles closer to her.

Karen emits a quiet chuckle at the drunken girl sitting beside her. "Maybe you should take her home Quinn."

"I don't think you should tell her what to do," Rachel bites back with a slur. "Maybe you should go home."

That statement causes Quinn to wrap her hand around Rachel's and she gently tugs her up before leading her towards the kitchen. She looks over Rachel's shoulder to see Karen staring at them but with a tilt of her head, Karen seems to understand that she wants privacy and resumes reading her book.

"You have had too much to drink and I am taking you home."

"I don't want to go home; I want to stay with you."

It shouldn't melt her heart but it does.

Staring into doe-eyed brown eyes is enough to make her resolve start crumbling.

"Maybe I should take you to Sophie's."

This time Rachel's shake of the head is lot more fervent than before. "I don't want to go there."

"Why not?"

"She's not happy with me," Rachel replies as she traces her finger down the side of Quinn's face.

The curiosity in Quinn peaks and she needs to know what's happened between Sophie and Rachel. "Why?"

Rachel shakes her head and shrugs her shoulders at the same time. "Why is _she_ here?"

Quinn guesses that it was supposed to come out as a whisper but evidently Rachel doesn't know how to whisper when she's been drinking. It's loud enough for Karen to hear and from behind Rachel; Quinn watches her mouth the word 'she' in feign annoyance.

Quinn stifles a laugh before looking down at Rachel. "Karen's my friend; she's allowed to be here."

"I'm your friend so that means I'm allowed to be here too." Rachel beams widely, clearly proud at herself for making that point.

Quinn quirks an eyebrow, she can't really argue with that logic. "Rachel."

Brown eyes widen. "Do you not want me here?"

"Of course I do," she breathes out.

Rachel's smile grows impossibly wider before she leans forward with the intention of kissing Quinn. At the realisation of what's about to happen, Quinn steps back and creates more distance between them but ensures that she's still close enough in case Rachel decides to stumble about.

"You need to go to bed."

Rachel snickers like a schoolgirl. "Are you trying to get me into bed?"

Quinn chuckles but shakes her head. Her hand comes up to cup Rachel's cheek and she rubs it softly with the pad of her thumb. She sighs in contentment when Rachel closes her eyes at the touch. "Not this time," she whispers, fully aware that Karen isn't really reading and is watching their interactions with bemused fascination. "Come on."

She grabs Rachel's hand and the brunette quickly entwines their fingers. It doesn't even cross Quinn's mind to disentangle them, instead she leads Rachel towards the spare bedroom and ushers her in before turning around to face Karen.

"Guess you're getting your wish after all."

"My wish?"

"You and me in one bed," she replies with a wink. "I'll be back in a second."

Karen grins and brings her attention back to her book. "Take all the time in the world Quinn."

Quinn steps forward and slaps her friend playfully on the arm before dashing back towards the spare bedroom in case Karen decides to retaliate. She closes the door behind her and stills at the sight before her. Rachel is currently attempting to undress but appears to be having trouble with her sweater which is currently stuck half way over her head. Just enough to showcase her stomach and bra yet hide her eyes.

Even though she knows she shouldn't, she allows her eyes to rake appreciatively over the brunette's stomach and her tongue subconsciously licks her lip.

"I'm stuck," Rachel announces and Quinn chuckles. "Help me please."

Quinn takes a step forward and tugs the sweater back down to cover Rachel's body rather than take it off.

"Maybe you should leave that on."

"You want me to sleep in this?" Rachel asks with a tilt of her head. "But it's too thick to sleep in. I don't like sleeping in my clothes."

"I don't really think you should sleep in just your underwear."

Rachel sends a lop-sided smirk in Quinn's direction. "Why? Don't you trust yourself?"

Quinn tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. Rachel's probably not going to remember any of this in the morning so it's not going to hurt to be truthful. "No, I honestly don't."

"I don't either."

"You don't trust me?"

Rachel shakes her head quickly and dabs at her chest with her finger. "I don't trust myself."

Quinn brushes some of Rachel's hair behind her ear. And the way Rachel is staring at her, it takes all the willpower she has to not kiss her.

"I know," Rachel says quietly.

"Know what?" Quinn questions as she pulls the cover of the bed back.

Rachel smirks. "I know about you."

"I don't know what you're talking about Rachel."

"I know."

Quinn chuckles softly before turning around to face her dresser. "Since you don't want to sleep in your clothes, I can give you some pyjamas if you want," she offers but Rachel has already climbed into bed and closed her eyes. Quinn walks around to the left side of the bed and takes a seat on the next to Rachel. "Rachel?"

Her eyes drift open slowly and she looks lazily at Quinn.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Quinn strokes Rachel's cheek with the pad of her thumb once more. "You can ask me anything you want."

"Do you –"

"Do I what?"

Rachel glances at her before sighing. "Do you like Karen?"

Quinn laughs lightly and runs her fingers through Rachel's hair, revelling in the satisfied sigh Rachel makes. "I do, but as nothing more than a friend."

"Like we're friends."

"No," Quinn says lightly. "Not like our friendship."

"I really like you Quinn."

Quinn inhales heavily and turns her attention towards the bedroom wall rather than Rachel. "You are making it impossible for me to stay away from you," Quinn says quietly. "All I want to be able to do is hold your hand and kiss you without having to worry about anybody being hurt. I want to be able to climb into bed with you right now and wake up with you in my arms because the morning after we slept together, I didn't understand why it affected me so much that you left but now I do." Quinn rubs her hands on her thighs nervously; she has no idea how Rachel is going to react to this. "It affected me because you weren't supposed to leave; you were supposed to stay with me. It was supposed to me that you met in that park, not Sophie. And staying away from you is proving to be the hardest thing I've ever had to do and you're making it even harder for me when you show up at my place all drunk and adorable."

There isn't any response from the other woman and Quinn finally finds the courage to look at the brunette only to find Rachel sleeping softly, her breathing levelled out.

Part of her is glad Rachel didn't hear any of that but part of her wishes she had.

Things might have been easier.

Dipping down she presses her lips against Rachel's temple, leaving them to linger longer than necessary. "Good night beautiful."

She sneaks out of the bedroom as quietly as she can; even though she's pretty confident Rachel won't wake up for anything right now. Flipping the light switch off, she shuts the door behind her, leaving it just slightly ajar.

"Is she okay?" Karen asks as she peers over the couch at Quinn's re-appearance.

"For now, she's going to regret it in the morning though."

"Do you not want to stay with her?"

Quinn bites down on her bottom lip before entering her own bedroom. Karen stands from the couch and follows her friend into the bedroom. "Quinn?"

"Of course I do."

"Then go back in there."

"It's not that simple Karen," Quinn exclaims. "Everything may seem black and white to you but life isn't like that."

"You're in love with her Quinn and you've got the chance to be there for her and you're passing it up."

"She's practically unconscious right now," Quinn explains. "Besides, she might freak out if she wakes up in the morning and I'm next to her. I don't want that to happen."

"Trust me, she wouldn't freak out."

"I promised Santana I'd stay away from her."

"Clearly she didn't make the same promise."

"It doesn't matter because I did."

Karen shakes her head slowly. "Why are you trying to do something that is inevitably going to make you unhappy? Why can't you let yourself be happy just once?"

"I am happy," Quinn defends.

"No you're not."

"It doesn't matter Karen."

"You're trying to do the right thing for Sophie but you do realise that you're going to eventually end up resenting her right?"

"What?"

Karen crosses her arms against her chest. "She's going to be with the one person you want, you can't tell me that you're going to be okay with that."

Quinn pauses. When she thinks about Sophie and Rachel as a couple, she doesn't think too much about the future. She doesn't wonder what it will be like if Rachel remains a part of her life but not as a girlfriend rather a constant reminder that she had a chance with her and didn't take it.

Karen's right, she wouldn't be okay with that.

Instead of answering, Quinn opens the drawers of her dresser and tosses a pair of pyjamas in her friend's direction before pulling out a pair for herself. "Do you want the left side or the right?"

Karen releases a sigh before gesturing her head at the bed. "The left."

"Perfect because I sleep on the right."

After both women change into their pyjamas, Quinn walks towards her bedside cabinet and opens the top drawer. She grabs the nose strips Rachel bought her for Christmas and plasters one over her nose.

"What are you doing?" Karen questions as she climbs into bed.

"Somebody told me that I snore," she replies. "These are supposed to help and I thought you might appreciate the quiet."

"I'd appreciate a bed to myself," Karen says playfully.

"Well that's not going to happen and if you don't shut up, you can sleep on the couch," Quinn replies with just as much playfulness in her voice.

She climbs into bed beside Karen and rests her head against the pillow.

"Q?"

Quinn hums as a response.

"Do you think when Rachel forbad us to have sex, it included spooning?"

* * *

A/N 2:

**Acja – **Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much, I'm really glad to hear that. I'm happy to hear that you're sticking with the story :)

**MagickMe** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Hopefully this chapter fits that criteria as well, let me know if it does/doesn't. I think Quinn's already realising that it's futile for her to bother denying her feelings and it isn't going to be too long before they both act on their feelings.

**Myshipsank** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I can tell you that you assume correctly. Thank you :) As you'll have just read, she's ignoring the internal battle in this chapter because she's drunk but she still doesn't want Quinn to be with anybody else. Technically parties but they're both going to be at the same place at the same time. You will Santana and Brittany again, hopefully being their awesome crazy selves. It seems that most people want to see Sophie stop being so perfect so I'm trying to insert little things here and there without completely changing her character. I'm really glad to hear that :) Wow, thank you very much, characterisation is the one thing I try the hardest to get right so I'm glad you're emotionally invested in them :)

**Mars** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Wow, well I'm glad I made your week good! Sorry I didn't update as much this week but at least you got one update.

**Polux** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) She really is, a very bad girl indeed, even more in this chapter. They are definitely going to take advantage of Sophie's absence. Hopefully it will be the Vegas trip in the next few chapters. Thank you very much :) Till next time.

**LeaIsTheBest** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I appreciate people reading my story but kudos for reading it all in one go and staying up till 1am. Thank you very much :) This update wasn't as quickly as some but I try not to leave updates for longer than a week so hopefully that will be soon enough :)

**Guest** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) and yay! I'm glad you're addicted to the story. Thank you very much! I really try and get the characterisations right and sometimes I find Santana a little difficult because I don't want her to be too bitchy or mean so I appreciate you saying that. As you'll have just read, they still can't ignore their attraction to one another and there's only so much longer then can actually ignore their feelings for one another

**Flyingpinguin1** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) You remember correctly. Quinn used a coaster purposely because she knew Rachel like people to use coasters. You're right regarding the title. It's the little things that Sophie does that pulls Rachel away from her and it's the little things that Quinn does that pulls Rachel towards her. Thank you very much :) Wow! You have no idea how much I appreciate that, I think that might be one of the nicest compliments I have received so thank you so much! I find it fascinating that you think of my story when you hear certain songs now, I'm really happy you do. Feel free to keep informing me of any more songs you think suit my story :) I've not actually heard that song, so I'll have to listen to it :)

**Lealover** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I agree with you when you say Glee is ruining their characters. I think Rachel's character has been completely ruined. Quinn needs to tell her what her dream is before Rachel can make it come true but Rachel will make it come true :) As you'll have read in this chapter, Sophie's becoming more and more suspicious. You're right but there are still a few more chapters of dishonesty and betrayal :)

**Jazz** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I think Sophie probably will freak out. Regarding the Alison situation, the thing that Sophie and Santana blow over is the fact that it wasn't a one-sided thing. They automatically assume the worse in Quinn and they don't really pay attention to Alison's role so that will come up again. The situation with Alison will definitely be brought up by Sophie after the reveal because history is repeating herself and Quinn has broken her heart once more, except this time, it's worse.

No, they're not following that rule in this chapter either and they're going to have trouble following it in Vegas. Even if Quinn blew Rachel off, she'd probably call and change her mind haha because you're right, they're in too deep. You're right when you say it will affect everybody, both Santana and Brittany know but haven't said anything so Sophie's not going to be happy with them. Hopefully you'll like the way it plays out :)

Haha, I like that you feel that way. I do want people to root for Quinn and Rachel but at the same time feel bad for Sophie. That's good to know, I'm glad my story isn't predictable, hopefully it will keep surprising you :) You're welcome, I try to update as much as I can because I don't want to leave long waits.

**VGA** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) There's no need to thank me, I enjoy doing it but thank you for saying I'm amazing :) Thank you and I think Quinn and Rachel are perfect for each other too.

**Jock** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Luckily for you, they're not going to be going behind people's backs for too much longer because the wedding is fast approaching. Sophie will end up okay, don't worry. I might not show just how okay until the epilogue though. I had them ice-skating in my other story so I don't know whether they'll do it in this one haha. Thank you :)

**Elmoooooooo** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I think Vegas will be a lot of fun and it might make up for the fact that they only got to spend a small proportion of Valentines Day together. Faberry are soul mates and I know it sucks that Sophie is really nice but it's all necessary because I think it will make the reveal that little bit better. Plus, she's going to show a side she hasn't shown before afterwards ;)

**Anon** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :)

That sneak peek in the last chapter has unfolded into a slightly larger peek at their relationship now in this chapter. No, you're right. Quinn is always going to cause tension between them because Rachel constantly thinks about her now, especially when she's with Sophie. I've always wanted Sophie to be the perfectly-understand girlfriend but the friction between the two of them is growing slowly. Sophie's a very gifted person haha. I'm glad you like her that little bit more now. Yeah I know what you mean, Sophie caters to her diet requirement and Rachel wants to do the same back.

Sophie values Rachel's opinion, that's probably why she'll be more willing to talk to Rachel after the reveal than Quinn. I know, her absence from the bachelorette parties will most definitely cause some trouble. Yeah, this chapter just basically confirmed that the parties will be combined. Alcohol and dancing will be included. I think the Vegas trip is going to spread over a couple of chapters, after all it is a weekend and a lot of things are going to happen. I like that, continue being anxiously excited :)

Quinn is all Rachel can think about in this chapter as well, it's becoming quite a habit. I think the first lot of chapters were important to establish Quinn's feelings but now she knows she's in love with Rachel, the attention is falling to Rachel because she still hasn't realised the true extent of her feelings and that's why she is the main focus at the moment :) I agree with you, if she sleeps with Sophie, it will hurt her more. However, I'm not saying if they're going to sleep together nor am I saying whether they'll remain 'celibate' ;) I'm evil like that. Yeah, Quinn is definitely her priority right now, which sucks for poor Sophie.

In that case, hopefully you liked this chapter since there was quite a substantial Rachel and Quinn scene. That's exactly how she feels. Both people that Rachel has had proper relationships with have been nice, honest, faithful people (Finn is nice in this story haha) but Quinn is completely different. She doesn't do relationships and sex is a challenge, she doesn't work hard for somebody but she is working incredibly hard for Rachel and Rachel can't understand what makes her so special that Quinn wants her. She will address that concern in a future chapter. You're right though, who wouldn't want that.

Haha, thank you very much :) I'm glad you liked that part of the conversation. For somebody who loves the 'holiday', Rachel can't fathom why somebody wouldn't enjoy it, unless they were single. Neither can I. I won't tell you otherwise don't worry, they had a Valentines Date. It is really complicated.

She's addressed that in this chapter when she realises that she should have told Sophie about Broadway first. That's going to hurt Sophie even more if she ever finds out. Since that has happened in this chapter, how did you find it? Sophie's not just letting it go though. Cue a Sophie and Quinn in the next chapter :)

Don't worry, I think my morals are non-existent in this story as well and Sophie will be getting lost soon. That's good to know :) No need to apologise :)

**Fort** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Kudos to you for reading it in one go :) Thank you very much; I really appreciate you saying that. As you'll have just read, Quinn's crazy about her in this chapter too. I always planned this to be a slow development because I think if it is rushed; it doesn't seem realistic so I'm glad you like the pacing.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: You get a little more insight into Quinn's past in this chapter, back when she didn't care and wasn't very nice. I'm also interested to see what people think of Sophie now. I had intended the confrontation to be a screaming match but in the end, I didn't think it was right. Let me know whether you'd have preferred a screaming match :) I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Chapter 22:**

She wakes up to the unmistakable smell of bacon floating towards her from the kitchen. Blaine normally cooks it for him and Kurt if they're suffering the side effects of a hangover so the smell isn't new to her. In fact it's become rather synonymous with hangovers.

A fact that is rather apt right now.

Her eyes flutter open and even though the searing pain in her head makes her want to slam them shut again, she forces them to stay open.

She really shouldn't drink.

It takes longer than it should before she realises that she isn't actually in her own bed and she isn't in Sophie's.

Both she and Sophie have a picture resting on their bedside cabinet of the pair of them from her dad's birthday. It's always been one of her favourite pictures because they had only been dating for a couple of months and they look incredibly happy.

Their smiles are genuine and their arms are wrapped around one another just to have that little bit more contact.

If they were to have a photo taken now, Rachel thinks the smiles would be forced and there would be more distance between them than necessary.

She hates what is happening to them and how it's her fault.

The bedroom she is in is rather bare and Rachel presumes nobody usually sleeps in it because there aren't many home comforts. Her bedroom is filled to the rim with home comforts and she feels at home there but this room is quite empty. She peers underneath the covers to see what she is wearing and breathes a sigh of relief when she recognises last night clothes.

At least this isn't a repeat of the last time she drank a little bit too much; at least she didn't end up engaging in sexual intercourse with a stranger.

Or even worse, Quinn.

That would have just complicated things even more.

That thought coupled with the sight of her clothes causes her to remember where she is.

She's in Quinn's apartment.

After drinking two more bottles of wine with Kurt, she had bid him goodnight. Granted he was close to practically forcing her to go to sleep before she decided to go of her own accord. Once he had retired to his bedroom, she had sneaked out of their apartment as quietly as she could and started walking towards Quinn's.

She can't really remember what possessed her to head to Quinn's, she can just remember wanting to see her.

After rubbing her eyes she pinches the bridge of her nose and exhales heavily as the memories from last night start to return to her.

One by one, the pieces of the puzzle slowly get put back together until she remembers pretty much everything that happened last night.

How she ignored Quinn's advice about going home.

How she forced Quinn to let her stay.

How she questioned Karen about the relationship she shared with Quinn.

How she had tried to kiss Quinn and Quinn had rejected her.

She buries her head in the pillow at the final memory. She had tried to kiss Quinn and the blonde had merely stepped away from her. It mortifies her at how she embarrassing she must have been last night.

She really shouldn't drink.

Sitting up in bed, she feels a wave of nausea hit her quickly but she manages to push through it and swivels her body around before placing her feet on the carpet. It's only then that she notices the glass of water and two advil tablets on the bedside cabinet. She smiles gratefully at Quinn's obvious kind gesture before swallowing the tablets, washing them down with a mouthful of water. She stands up slowly, careful not to make any rushed movements in case her nausea decides to resurface this time overwhelming her before she has a chance to fight through it. Standing up she starts walking towards the bedroom door, catching her reflection in the mirror as she passes it and the sight causes her to freeze.

She slept in her make-up.

She grimaces as she touches her face. Sleeping in make-up completely contradicts her rigid nightly routine

She stares at her reflection a little longer before shrugging the worry off. Even though she understands the importance of looking after her skin, right now, it's the last thing on her mind. She's more worried about facing Quinn.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she opens the bedroom door and heads towards the kitchen, following the smell of bacon. Considering she would never eat the meat, she has to admit, the smell is intoxicating and she wonders what it tastes like. Kurt and Blaine certainly to enjoy bacon sandwiches after a night of drinking. The strong rays of sunlight peeking through Quinn's drapes cause her to squint the more she walks.

At the sound of footsteps, Quinn raises her head from the newspaper she's reading and sends a tight-lipped smile in Rachel's direction. She swallows her mouthful of food before dropping her sandwich onto the plate. "Good morning sunshine, how are you feeling today?"

"I have an incessant pounding in my head and sudden waves of nausea hit me when I least expect it," Rachel begins, walking closer to Quinn and stopping on the other side of the counter.

"I put some tablets and a glass of water by your bed."

"I saw. Thank you, I'm sure they'll work perfectly when they kick in."

Quinn smiles lightly. "I hope they do, I've suffered enough hangovers to know that they're not pleasant."

"Do you have one right now?"

Quinn cocks her head to the side. "A hangover?" Rachel bobs her head at the question. "No, why?"

"I've found that bacon sandwiches, in my life, are synonymous with hangovers. Kurt and Blaine always eat them so I presumed that because you were eating one, you might be dealing with a hangover too."

A slight chuckle is emitted from the blonde. "My only excuse is that I love bacon."

Rachel laughs at her friend's statement before swallowing nervously. Quinn takes another bite of her bacon sandwich before speaking. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm embarrassed."

"Why?"

"My memory is pretty much intact from last night and I'm embarrassed by my actions. First and foremost, I had no right to turn up at your apartment unannounced and then refuse to leave. I certainly shouldn't have questioned Karen about the situation between the two of you because it's none of my business."

Quinn smiles lightly. "You don't need to be embarrassed; I actually thought you were rather adorable last night."

Rachel rubs her hand over her forehead. "I'm still sorry."

"Don't be, you have nothing to apologise for."

"I was half expecting to wake up next to you after my apparent clinginess last night," Rachel states quietly and briefly glances at Quinn to gage her reaction.

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable; I slept in my own bed."

"You wouldn't have made me uncomfortable."

The confession is uttered so quietly that Quinn has to strain her ears to hear but it causes her to smile shyly. "I did come and check up on you a couple of times last night and once this morning."

"You did?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Quinn tells her with a shrug of her shoulders. "I found that sleep eluded me most of last night, probably because I was worried about you." Rachel's heart swells with adoration at that. The thought that Quinn couldn't sleep because she was worried about her is something she didn't expect to hear. "Do you want something to eat or drink? I'm sorry but I don't think I have anything suitable for vegans."

"A black coffee is fine please."

Nodding she turns to the freshly brewed coffee in the pot and pours some into a mug before passing it to Rachel. "I'll make sure to invest in some soya milk for the next time you want coffee."

She's not even aware of what she's just said. The implication that Rachel will be having coffee here again in the morning and that the thought doesn't even faze Quinn.

"There's something I wanted to ask you about last night."

Rachel glances at the blonde, fearing what words are going to come out of her friend's mouth. Part of her fears that Quinn is going to mention the attempt at a kiss.

She's not sure she can take the embarrassment.

"When I suggested taking you back to Sophie's, you said she wasn't happy with you. What's happened between the two of you?"

She's actually managed to somehow forget about her argument with Sophie but Quinn's question brings it back to the forefront of her mind and guilt swirls in the pit of her stomach at the fact that Sophie found out about her audition second-hand.

"Can I sit down?" Rachel asks, gesturing to the couch behind her.

"Of course."

Rachel carries her mug carefully over to the couch, ensuring she doesn't spill it, before sitting down. Quinn finishes off her sandwich before following dotingly and sitting down beside the brunette. Rachel sips her coffee, revelling in the warmth of it before hesitating slightly. Quinn smirks and pushes a coaster in her direction.

"I remember at Sophie's dinner party, you seemed to have a thing about using coasters. I have to admit, it doesn't really bother me if you get water rings on the table but since you seem opposed to the idea, there you go," Quinn tells her before collecting a coaster for herself and placing her mug down.

She has to stop herself from beaming at the simple gesture. All she can think about is how Sophie never uses them and Quinn is using them even though she doesn't care one way or the other. It's such a little thing, something that shouldn't matter to her, something that she shouldn't compare Sophie and Quinn on.

Yet she does.

"Thank you."

"It's not a problem."

Rachel sends a small smile her way. "Sophie found out I'm going to be on Broadway."

Quinn's brows furrow. "Surely that's something to celebrate, I mean; I was thrilled for you when you told me. I'd have thought she had been over the moon."

"That's just it though, I didn't exactly tell her."

"What do you mean?"

She curls some hair behind her ear. "We were having coffee and Artie appeared. Long story short, she introduced me to him and he informed her that we already knew each other and inadvertently mentioned Eponine and rehearsals. I told her the rest of the story, not that I really had a choice but the initial knowledge didn't come from me even though it should have."

"Tell me she was at least pleased that you're going to be on Broadway."

"She was but I think it was overshadowed by the fact that I hadn't told her and by the fact that it was you who organised the audition for me."

Quinn swallows hard. "You told her that?"

"You have Artie to thank for that as well."

She rubs her forehead before breathing out heavily. "How did she take that news?"

"She thought you had an ulterior motive, she said you didn't do nice things unless you wanted something in return," Rachel explains with a slight chuckle at the absurdity of the suggestion but when she sees Quinn somewhat pale, she tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "What she said, that's not true is it?"

Quinn subconsciously licks her lips and runs her fingers through her hair. "It's complicated."

Rachel swallows. "She's right isn't she?"

"Rachel –"

Whatever she is about to say is caught in her throat as Karen emerges from her bedroom, covering her mouth as she yawns.

"Is it still morning or have I slept through the afternoon?"

Quinn chuckles. "Only just morning, you can certainly sleep."

"So I'm not a morning person, sue me," Karen replies before sending a small smile in Rachel's direction. "Is that coffee fresh?"

"Yeah, help yourself."

Rachel watches the interactions between the two women with a frown and pure curiosity. She hadn't expected Karen to stay the night and since she's just emerged from Quinn's bedroom, it means they shared the same bed.

Who knows what could have happened.

The sheer though makes her stomach flip with jealousy.

"I need to go, Kurt's probably wondering where I am."

Quinn places her hand on Rachel's knee stilling her. "Please don't go." She shuffles impossibly closer to the other woman. "Nothing happened between Karen and I Rachel, if that's what you're thinking. I swear."

"Why would I care?"

"I don't know," Quinn states quietly. "But you look like you do."

Rachel swallows because Quinn's right; she can't pretend that she doesn't care and the reassurance from Quinn certainly curbs her jealousy slightly.

"Karen," Quinn says as she brings her attention to the British woman who is now reading the newspaper, a mug of coffee in her hand. "Would you mind giving us a minute?"

Karen looks up from the newspaper with a frown before noticing the stare Quinn is sending her and she slowly bobs her head. "I actually quite love reading the paper in bed I'll have you know," she tells both women before disappearing into the bedroom.

"You didn't need to get rid of her."

"I know."

Rachel curls more hair behind her ear. Silence descends over the pair of them and after a couple of minutes, Rachel clears her throat. "Tell me you didn't organise that audition for me because you wanted something to happen as a result. Be it sexual intercourse or some sordid affair; tell me you were doing it as a friend."

"I organised it for you as a friend, I promise."

"But Sophie was right; you do normally have ulterior motives."

Quinn exhales before pinching the bridge of her nose. "I have had in the past yes."

"Like?"

"Just a few girls in the past, I haven't exactly been completely honest with them. I've been who they wanted me to be."

"Tell me how," Rachel requests. "I want to understand why Sophie would think that."

Quinn rubs her forehead before nodding slowly. "There's two occasions that I think Sophie is referring to. The first one is to do with Alison."

"What happened?"

"A couple of months before her birthday, we were shopping in the mall and she saw this really lovely necklace. She didn't say anything, she didn't even mention it to me but I saw her linger that little bit too long around the item of jewellery so I knew she liked it. I decided to buy it for her and that was my birthday present for her."

"Was she with Sophie at the time or you? Or single?"

"She was with Sophie," Quinn answers. "Alison wore the necklace with pride, she loved it and when Sophie asked her about it, she didn't bother lying, she told her that I bought it for her. Sophie didn't think anything of it at the time but after they broke up and Alison and I started dating, Sophie asked me if I'd bought the necklace because I wanted Alison and I said yes."

Rachel opens her mouth but no words come out so Quinn takes that as her cue to continue.

"I was in love with her and I wanted to do something that would make her notice me in a different way, not just as a friend. I thought that if I gave her something she wanted, she'd give me something in return," Quinn explains. "I know how bad that sounds."

"Did she?"

"The night of her birthday, she came round to my house to thank me again for the present and –" Quinn runs her fingers through her hair. "She kissed me."

"Sophie said you told her nothing happened between the two of you whilst she and Alison were dating."

"That's because she doesn't know, I never told her because I didn't want to add to her hurt. That kiss is the only exception, nothing else happened between us. There wasn't time because two days after her birthday, she broke up with Sophie."

"What's the second occasion?"

Quinn turns to face Rachel to try and gage her reaction but the brunette's face is stoic and she isn't giving anything away. She isn't showing any signs that reveal how she is feeling.

"Before Alison, I slept around because I wanted to try and forget about her, I wanted to try and forget that Sophie was dating her and I couldn't have her. When we were dating, I changed; she was the only person I focused on. After our break up, I reverted back to sleeping around because I didn't want to put my heart on the line again. I started to see sex as just a bit of fun, something that I can use to keep myself amused." Quinn swallows hard. "In my final year at college, I met this freshman. Her name was Amy Belle and she was unbelievably gorgeous and really innocent. She wanted to wait until she was in love before having sex and when I found that out, needless to say, I saw her as the perfect challenge," Quinn explains quietly because even though she's ashamed to admit this, she's terrified that Rachel's opinion is going to change. Not that she can blame Rachel if it does. "I spent four months pursuing her, I told her everything she wanted to hear, I was exactly what she wanted me to be and finally, my efforts paid off. We had sex."

"She slept with you?" Rachel questions lightly. "Does that mean –"

"Yeah, she'd fallen in love with me," Quinn cuts in because she knows what Rachel is thinking. "I didn't ever expect her to actually fall for me; I just thought that I'd get her to change her mind about the issue of sex."

"What did you do?"

"Rachel –" Quinn breathes out because she really doesn't want to continue this story but Rachel just stares at her, silently ordering her to go on. "I told her that I didn't love her and a couple of days later, she found out from somebody that she had been nothing more than a conquest."

"You told me that you'd never broken anybody's heart?"

Quinn frowns lightly before remembering what Rachel is talking about. "I try not to think about her because I feel terrible for what I did. At the time, I didn't care but now, I can't think about her without feeling incredibly guilty. I'm the first person to admit how selfish I am when it comes to women and a complete shit. I played with her feelings for my own benefit and trust me; you can't make me feel any worse than I already do."

"Quinn –"

Quinn places her hand over Rachel's. "The first night we met, you said that I saw sex as a challenge and you were right. It has always been a challenge to me; there's always been a certain thrill about being able to have the girl you know you can't have." She flinches as the words leave her mouth; she probably should have phrased that better.

"So I'm a challenge to you?"

"No."

"But you've just said –"

Quinn shakes her head. "I know what I said but it came out wrong. Girls have been a challenge to me in the past, I'm not going to deny that but that all changed when I met you. You are so different to any other person I've ever met Rachel and I don't know what it is about you. Maybe it's your smile or your eyes. Maybe it's the fact that I always feel comfortable around you but whatever it is, you are not a challenge to me," she tells her before cupping her cheek. "The last thing you are to me is a game, you mean so much more to me than that. I can't even describe how much you mean to me and it's actually scary the affect you have on me. I need you to believe me. Trying to stay away from you is the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

Rachel blinks back tears. "Quinn –"

"I want you but I know I can't have you because you're Sophie's girlfriend. But I don't want you because I can't have you; I want you because you make me a better person. I told you that I never claimed to be a Saint because in the past, I couldn't have been further from being a Saint when it came to girls. But I can't bring myself to be the same person I've always been around you. Rachel, I'm changing for the better because of you."

Her heart soars at Quinn's heartfelt confession and before she can even contemplate her actions, her lips are pressed against Quinn's. Quinn closes her eyes at the sensation and places her hands on Rachel's hip, nibbling on her lower lip ever so lightly. The kiss doesn't deepen, it doesn't have to. Neither woman feels the need to deepen the kiss in order to prove a point.

"Why are you making it so hard for me to stay away from you?" Quinn whispers, her forehead resting against Rachel's.

"Because I can't stay away from you either."

"What are we going to do?"

Rachel closes her eyes before answering. "I don't know."

* * *

Both women stay as they are for several minutes, neither one wanting to shatter the perfect moment. It's a couple of seconds later that the moment is shattered by a knock at the front door. Quinn huffs playfully before standing up. "I swear I've never been so popular." Rachel chuckles quietly at the blonde. "Who is it?" Quinn shouts because if it's nobody important, they can leave. She's not letting some salesperson ruin her morning with Rachel.

"It's me Q."

Maybe it won't be a salesperson that ruins her morning.

Rachel stands up at the voice, panic in her eyes. "That's Sophie."

Quinn rolls her eyes good-naturedly. Of course she recognised her friend's voice; she didn't need Rachel to state the obvious. "Why would she knock? She has a key," Quinn states, mainly to herself rather than Rachel.

Rachel's eyes widen and she drags Quinn towards the bedroom, as far away from the front door as possible. "My girlfriend has a key to your place and you didn't think to tell me that when I've showed up here. What if she'd just opened the door and caught us?"

"But she didn't," Quinn replies calmly, matching Rachel's whisper. "Besides, there's nothing for her to catch, we're not doing anything."

"Not right now but what if she had come in two minutes earlier or if she'd have come round the night you and I met?"

"She came round in the morning."

"What?" Rachel whispers harshly. "I could have still been here; she could have found us together."

Quinn shakes her head slowly. "I guess it's a good job you left then isn't it," she tells her and there's a tiny bit more malice in her voice that she would have liked. Rachel leaving before she woke up still bothers her. She meant what she said to Rachel last night, Rachel should have stayed with her because she was meant to but leaving before Quinn woke up, certainly bruised her ego and even though it's stupid, Quinn hates that. "Since you're clearly worried about being caught, why don't you wait in the bedroom?"

Rachel wants to stay and tell Quinn that she didn't mean for it to come out like that but the nerves flooding through her at the knowledge that Sophie is behind the front door cause her to retreat to the bedroom.

Regrettably the same bedroom that Karen is currently residing in.

True to her word, Karen is sitting up in bed reading the newspaper. She glances up at the sudden visitor to the bedroom.

"Can I help you?"

Rachel closes the bedroom door behind her but doesn't turn around to face the other woman. "Quinn has company; I'm just waiting here for the time being."

"I'm guessing whoever she's talking to doesn't know you're here."

Rachel rests her head against the bedroom door. "No, she doesn't."

Karen bobs her head; it doesn't take a genius to work out that Quinn's visitor must be Rachel's girlfriend. "Do you want the paper? I've already read it," she asks and the question causes Rachel to turn around. "Who knows how long we'll be stuck in here."

"You're not stuck in here, you're free to leave."

"I think you underestimate how much I love reading the morning paper in bed, Quinn's not getting rid of me anytime soon."

Rachel frowns lightly. "Don't you have work?"

"Only one dance class and it's this evening," Karen replies, tossing the funnies to the other end of the bed, close to Rachel. "Besides, I don't really want to get in the middle of what's happening out there. As much as you probably don't like it, you're stuck with me."

* * *

She waits until Rachel has closed the bedroom door behind her before opening the door. "Sophie," she breathes out. "Since when do you knock? I know I said the key was only for emergencies but that never seemed to stop you from using it in the past."

"I left the key at my apartment," Sophie explains. "Can we talk?"

"What about?"

"Are you going to let me in or do you want to have this conversation on the doorstep?"

"Sorry," Quinn says as she opens the door wider, inviting her friend in. She rubs the back of her neck as fear creeps through her stomach at this talk with Sophie.

It doesn't take a genius to realise that Sophie has clearly come round to talk about Rachel's audition and why Quinn organised it for her.

She closes the door once Sophie is inside and starts walking past Sophie towards the kitchen. "Can I get you a drink or something to eat? I could make you chocolate chip pancakes."

Sophie smiles softly. "As tempting as that offer sounds, I'm fine thank you."

Quinn bobs her head as Sophie scans the apartment, her gaze falling on the two coffee mugs resting on the coffee table. Quinn follows her gaze and momentarily breathes a sigh of relief that Karen too her mug into the bedroom with her.

Three mugs would have been harder to explain.

"Do you have company?"

"Karen's here."

Sophie tilts her head to the side. "Should I leave you two alone, we can have this talk another time?"

Quinn shakes her head. "It's fine, she's in the bedroom, she's captivated by the morning paper."

"Are there still no romantic feelings between the two of you?" Sophie asks curiously because according to Brittany, Quinn and Karen seem to make a cute couple, they're perfect for each other, in her words.

"No, she's just a friend and that's all she's ever going to be," Quinn states louder than necessary in the hope that Rachel will hear too and stop being jealous, even though part of her finds Rachel's jealously endearing.

"That's a shame; I think Brittany wanted you two to work."

She knows Brittany wanted them to work, Brittany told Karen that and Karen told her. She crosses her arms over her body protectively. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Rachel's going to be on Broadway," Sophie announces and Quinn can see the glint of happiness that resides between her friend's eyes. She knew that Sophie would be so proud of Rachel, even if mitigating factors, such as Quinn's involvement, made her forget about Rachel's achievement. "She's going to be starring as Eponine in Les Miserables, but you already know that don't you?"

Quinn swallows nervously, Rachel didn't inform her whether Sophie knows that Quinn has already been told or not. "I knew she was auditioning, obviously, but I didn't know she got the part," Quinn says, deciding to pretend her knowledge about Rachel's situation is limited.

The auburn haired woman stares at her for a little longer before her shoulders relax and Quinn knows she said the right thing under the circumstances. "I just don't understand why you would organise an audition for somebody you barely know so I was hoping you'd enlighten me."

"It was a spur of the moment thing," Quinn tells her quietly.

"That's not really a reason."

"I bumped into Artie and I remembered how my mom had mentioned he was directing a Broadway play in amidst telling me that he was now married," Quinn starts before wringing her fingers together. "Rachel told me that she wanted to be on Broadway, it was just a passing comment, but I remembered it and when I bumped into him, I decided to see if he'd give her an audition. It wasn't something I really planned, it just happened."

Okay, strictly speaking that's a lie; she did ensure she bumped into Artie rather than it being an accident.

"I thought you wanted me to get along with her, that's all I was trying to do. I was trying to be friendly."

"We have different definitions of friendly though Quinn."

Quinn flinches at that and she's reminded of the first night she met Rachel when Rachel told her they had different definitions of nice but she doesn't say anything to argue because Sophie's right.

"You didn't –" Sophie starts before cutting herself off. "You didn't have an ulterior motive did you?"

The vulnerability in her friend's voice pains her to hear. She had organised the audition as a friend so at least this time she doesn't have to lie.

"No, I didn't have an ulterior motive."

She doesn't expect Sophie to believe her so she's surprised when her friend relaxes before taking a seat on the couch. "When Rachel told me that it was you who organised the audition for her, I immediately thought you wanted something from her," Sophie states as she buries her head in her hand. "I'm supposed to be your best friend yet I immediately think the worst of you. I'm a terrible friend."

Strictly speaking, it's Quinn who is the terrible friend.

"I've hardly got the best track record when it comes to girls and…I hurt you so I can't really blame you for thinking the worst. I would if I was you."

"I've forgiven you for Alison, I have but I guess I haven't really forgotten about it. It's still there in the back of my mind, so when I found out that you'd done something nice for Rachel, I guess my paranoia flared up and I judged you. I shouldn't have done that."

Everything Sophie is telling her makes Quinn feel guiltier by the second. Sophie's feeling guilty for thinking the worst in Quinn when she's actually thinking the right thing. In the beginning of their relationship, friendship, whatever the thing they have is called, Quinn had wanted Rachel. She purposely flew to Ohio just so she could see Rachel's face and she'd be lying if she said she didn't want Rachel to appreciate that as more than a friend would. If Sophie ever finds out about her and Rachel, that Quinn has been lying to her, there's no coming back for them.

Their friendship will be over.

"I'm not interested in Rachel."

She's back to lying and it's surprising how hard that is for her to say.

"I know that, deep down I do anyway," Sophie replies. "Like I said, I'm paranoid and that meant I thought the worst of you and I am really sorry about that."

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it does Q; I'm letting what happened between us in the past cloud my judgement of you now. I'm supposed to be your best friend, I shouldn't judge you and accuse you of wanting something just because you've done it in your past. I know you're not the same person you used to be."

"Sophie, I'm not mad at you."

How can she be mad at her friend when Sophie is right? Quinn does want Rachel, just like she wanted Alison except this time, it is worse.

She's actually slept with Rachel whilst Sophie's dating her.

"I'm so sorry Quinn."

Quinn exhales before paying closer attention to her friend and it's only then she can see tears brimming in her eyes. Silently she takes a seat beside her friend.

"This isn't just about her audition is it, what's wrong?

"I don't know what to do Q."

"About what?"

Sophie sniffs. "I don't know what's wrong but my relationship with Rachel is crumbling around me and I don't know what I can do to stop it."

Quinn opens her mouth to speak but closes it shortly afterwards. She can't handle listening to Sophie complain about her relationship to Rachel when it's her fault they're having relationship trouble.

"I didn't mean to suggest the worst, I just…I don't know why she didn't tell me about her audition or that she got the part, why she kept something that big a secret and I had to find out from somebody else. I thought maybe there might be a reason she kept it to herself. It makes me wonder whether she's lied to me about anything else. If so, how many times?"

"I'm sure she's not lied to you, maybe she was just waiting for the right moment to tell you."

"I wish I could believe that."

"Sophie –"

"I thought about proposing to her you know," Sophie exclaims and Quinn's eyes widen. "I thought she was the one and I even found a ring that I knew she'd love but I didn't want to rush her so I decided to ask her to move in with me instead, I thought we could take our relationship one step at a time."

"You asked her to move in with you?"

Rachel hadn't told her that.

"What did she say?"

Sophie shakes her head. "She hasn't given me a proper answer yet but I know she doesn't want to. She doesn't have to say no, it's obvious from her face. I don't want to lose her Quinn but I have a feeling I am."

"Sophie –"

"I am so in love with her, more than I ever was with Alison and it's killing me that there's something wrong, something I can't seem to fix."

"I'm sure you're just reading too much into it."

"She flinches whenever I touch her Q."

Quinn shakes her head. "Don't be ridiculous."

"When we first started going out, we couldn't stay away from one another."

Her eyes flutter shut at Sophie's statement and jealously pools in the pit of her stomach at the thought of Sophie and Rachel in that way.

"But now, we couldn't be more opposite. Every time I try to start something, she always has something she needs to do, somewhere she needs to go."

Quinn tilts her head to the side. "So you two haven't –"

"Not since before Christmas."

That fact shouldn't give her pleasure. It shouldn't provide her with some form of comfort but it does.

"Sophie, why don't you try telling her this instead of me?"

"I've tried talking about it but –"

"Maybe you should try harder."

Sophie chuckles dryly and brings her attention fully to Quinn. "Thinking there's something wrong and actually being told there's something wrong is two different things. I don't want to be proved right Q because if I am, that's it. Our relationship will be over.

Quinn wraps her arms around her friend and Sophie collapses into the hug. She already felt guilty now her guilt has just intensified to maximum levels.

As she listens to Sophie cry quietly on her shoulder, all she can think about is how Rachel is currently hiding from her girlfriend in the bedroom and that unfortunately for Sophie; their relationship might already be over.

And Quinn hates herself for playing a part in that.

Even though she said she didn't want anything, Quinn ended up making chocolate chip pancakes for Sophie because she knew that they would make her friend smile.

Thankfully they did.

"Thank you for listening Q, I'm sorry again."

"You need to stop apologising; you've not done anything wrong."

Sophie sends a shy smile in her friend's direction. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Sophie tilts her head to the side and tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'm supposed to be going on a skiing trip with my school in a couple of days for two weeks."

"You are?"

Sophie bobs her head. "I'm going to be missing the hen night; I thought Santana would have told you."

Quinn doesn't say anything. The prospect of spending a weekend in Vegas with Sophie and Rachel hadn't been something she'd been looking forward to so she can't pretend that finding out Sophie is going to be absent isn't going to make easier.

If not more dangerous.

"Do you think I should cancel? I don't know whether it's the right time to be going away."

"Maybe all you and Rachel need is some space, maybe when you come back, everything will work out between the two of you."

"Do you really think so?"

No.

"I don't know but neither do you. There's no harm in seeing what happens."

Sophie sighs but nods her head. She wraps her arms around Quinn quickly and whispers a quiet thank you in her ear before opening the front door.

"I'm not sure if I'll see you before I go."

"Have a good trip, stay safe."

Sophie nods slowly and walks through the door before pausing and turning around. "I forgot to say, thank you."

"You just thanked me."

"No, I forgot to thank you for organising the audition for Rachel. Broadway has always been her dream and even though I wish it had been me that organised it for her, I'm glad she's going to be able to fulfil her dream. So thank you for helping her. I know it didn't seem like it at first but I do appreciate it, she belongs on that stage, it shouldn't matter how she gets there."

"You don't need to thank me for that."

Sophie shakes her head. "I do," she says finally before waving goodbye and closing the door behind her.

She barely has time to reflect on what Sophie's just said when Rachel bursts out of her bedroom and immediately heads towards Quinn.

"Rachel."

Rachel shakes her head and doesn't stop, instead attempting to brush past Quinn and open the front door.

"Rachel," Quinn tries again, gently grabbing Rachel by her wrist in order to stop her. "Will you just wait for a second please?"

"I've just heard everything Sophie said, about how she doesn't know what's wrong in our relationship, do you know what that was like to hear?"

"I have a pretty good idea considering I'm to blame as well," Quinn states. "She confided in me about her relationship worries and I'm half of the reason she's having those worries."

"She's questioning our relationship Quinn, I felt like crying when she was pouring her heart out to you."

"Rachel –"

Rachel swallows hard before running her fingers through her hair. "We're breaking her heart, you do realise that right?"

"I know." Quinn sighs heavily. "We could always tell her."

"Tell her? Tell her that we've slept together and that the reason she thinks something is wrong is because there is something wrong, something that she isn't going to be able to fix," Rachel exclaims worriedly. "It will destroy her."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Rachel's tongue subconsciously darts out to lick her lips. "I need to go talk to Sophie," Rachel replies as she opens the front door. "I'll see you on Friday for Vegas right?"

"Of course."

Rachel gives her a genuine smile before she closes the door behind her. Quinn sighs and rests her forehead against the door.

"Is it safe to come out yet?"

In spite of everything that has just happened, she finds herself chuckling softly at Karen's question. "Yeah, it's safe."

Karen emerges from the bedroom carrying her coffee mug. She looks to the left to see Quinn leaning against the front door and her heart twinges with sadness for the blonde. She wants to ask if she's okay or if she wants to talk but right now she's not sure that's what Quinn wants.

She places the mug down on the kitchen counter and frowns at the plate of pancakes. "You made pancakes and never offered me any, are you aware of how rude that is of you Quinn?" She says playfully and even though it takes a couple of seconds, she hears Quinn laugh.

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A/N 2:

**Alicja** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and drunk Rachel. She realises that she's insulting Quinn in this chapter so she does know what she's saying. I think she's allowed to have a complex because Quinn doesn't have the best track record even though she's changing now, Sophie doesn't know that. Rachel will defend Quinn, don't worry about that :) Quinn and Rachel will go crazy but they won't be getting married, although that would be a very interesting twist. No, I can't blame them all because I love her too, I think she's a romantic at heart and is only letting it show now.

**Polux** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) He really did, bless him, he didn't realise he was doing something wrong. Thank you :) Haha, thank you again, I feel like I say thank you all the time but I really appreciate you saying that. I'm glad the story draws you in. I agree, Quinn is the best and no, what happens in Vegas isn't going to stay in Vegas, not this time. Till next time :)

**VGA** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I understand that people don't like what Sophie said about Quinn but as you'll have read in this chapter, Quinn does have form so I think it's perfectly okay for her to think that. She does feel bad though if that helps. Also, Sophie doesn't know that Rachel is pursuing Quinn, when she finds out, her thought process will shift. Haha, that's really good, I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter. I'm glad I could make you swoon again :)

**Myshipsank –** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you, I'm really glad you like Karen. I love how people thought she was going to be a threat to Faberry and now those opinions have shifted which is what I was hoping for. Yeah, no matter how hard Quinn tries to stay away from Rachel, if Rachel needs her or comes to her apartment drunk, she'll be there for her, even though she shouldn't. I think it was a mix of comfortable and uncomfortable to be fair.

The answer to that question is yes, Rachel will open up to somebody. She's going to open up to Kurt in the next chapter because he knows something is wrong with her, so he's going to question her enough that she opens up

I'm really glad to hear that, no matter if you say it every chapter, I appreciate it every single time Wow, thank you :)

**Cassie** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I understand why you don't get Sophie's way of thinking but I think it's necessary. She's grown up with Quinn so she does know what Quinn like and in this chapter, even Quinn proves her right. Yes, what she said was harsh but she apologises for that in this chapter. It's easy to forgive but it's harder to forget so I think Sophie has a right to still hold a grudge. Thank you :)

**Flyingpinguin1** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm really glad to hear that. They all sound good; I do love the Veronicas, especially Untouched.

**Anon** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I try to be prompt :P

As you'll have just read, she's aware that Rachel is going to say no and the longer she doesn't hear the word yes, the more and more she'll think the answer is no.

I didn't mean to keep you waiting haha but hopefully it was and will be worth the wait. Poor Artie, he doesn't know what he's just done by announcing her success and by being proud of his Eponine. I don't think she would have told Sophie either. The majority of the reveal will happen at the wedding but I like to drop little things in here and there that help to unravel the lies. Most things that Sophie finds out wouldn't result in a break-up but the hook-up at the bar would so Rachel can't let her find that out just yet. I think she'll be beyond pissed too, especially since Quinn lied to her in this chapter.

It seems most people have the same opinion of Sophie because of the last chapter and I'm curious as to whether people's opinion of her have changed again because of this chapter. She is still bitter because it's easier to forgive than forget so when she finds out Quinn did something that sweet for Rachel, her paranoia flared up and she acknowledges in this chapter that she shouldn't immediately think the worst but I think it's understandable. I might be the only one though. Sophie doesn't know that Quinn is changing though so to her, Quinn is the same person she has always been; I think people are forgetting that part. If she knew Quinn was changing for somebody, she wouldn't think the worst but since she doesn't, she's paranoid a little. It's a really sweet gesture, I think it's understandable that Sophie wanted to be the one to make Rachel's dream comes true. But I respect and value your opinions :)

No, you can't haha, she's mine :P I'm glad you like Karen, I wanted people to really take to her when I first introduced her to the story for exactly the reason you said. She's so laid back. She can give Quinn impartial advice which is something nobody else can. Yeah, I know what you mean :)

Haha, I didn't even plan to make you think it was going to be Sophie at the door but I'm happy that I managed to trick you, even without trying. No, it's not possible, she's just too adorable. When she's drunk, she has loose lips and says what she is thinking without being able to think about it. Deep down, she thinks she does own Quinn. Nobody else can touch Quinn, not in her eyes haha. I agree, Quinn deserves kudos for her actions in this chapter. I agree, she would have fallen for her if she had heard but she did hear something interesting in this chapter and it take make her fall a little bit more for Quinn. Hopefully you found it hilarious :)

Now, that would be telling ;) I'll leave it up to your imagination.

They will do, don't worry. I just wanted to me cruel and a tease haha.

**Lealover** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad :) I'll see if I can include a drunken Rachel in every one of my stories seen as people like her. Yeah she is but her nobility will pay off and you're right, true love will triumph friendship in this story. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter :)

**QuinnFan** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) Haha, don't worry, they will let go in Vegas. She knows Quinn's in love with her but I think she needs to hear Quinn say it to her. I can understand that you find it frustrating but it is only for a little bit longer. She does love Sophie though, don't forget that. Her feelings for Quinn are becoming clearer to her though :) They're not going to sleep together again; I just wanted to say that they might to be a tease. And it clearly worked because people don't want them to be sleep together. Thank you :)

**Sarah** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Wow, thank you :) I'm glad my writing makes you feel how real the thing between Rachel and Quinn is. As you'll have just read, Sophie apologises for being quick to think badly of Quinn but I do think she has a right. She doesn't know that Quinn has changed or is changing.

**Elmoooooo** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you! Everybody seems to love Rachel drunk, I'm glad she went down really well. Quinn's found that out in this chapter and Rachel will find out soon enough. It wasn't necessarily a big standoff but Sophie did tell Quinn. Once again, I can understand why you feel less sorry for Sophie but she doesn't know that Quinn is trying to change; she doesn't know that Quinn is trying to be a better person. She knows that she was at fault in this chapter. Haha, you'll see them together soon enough. Thank you :) I really appreciate that.

**Jock** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I hope you enjoyed the mini interaction between Karen and Rachel in this chapter. I'm glad you feel bad for Sophie. She'll continue to stand up for her as well. Haha, I agree, good on Quinn. Good things come to those who wait ;)


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: Firstly, I apologise for the longer wait between updates. Originally I wanted to update at least once a week but I've been incredibly busy with university work and although I'm going to continue to be busy, it won't be as much (hopefully), therefore the updates should go back to at least once a week. At least, that's the plan. This chapter is a mixture of narrative and dialogue. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

* * *

**Chapter 23:**

"_She loves me," she says as she pulls one petal from the flower. As she pulls a second petal, she whispers the words 'she loves me not' under her breath, almost afraid to say them any louder._

"_She loves me." One more petal falls to the ground. "She loves me not." Another petal floats down as her voice grows increasingly quiet._

"_You do know that flowers aren't psychic."_

_She turns her head to see her fourteen year old friend sit cross-legged beside her._

"_The result you end on isn't going to be accurate, it's a stupid game, it can't tell you whether somebody will love you or not."_

"_I know it's not real, I just like doing it."_

_Her friend runs her fingers through her hair while she removes the remaining petals, mumbling every word under her breath now. She pulls the final petal off the flower and drops it to the grass to join the rest of the fallen petals. _

"_What's the verdict?"_

_She gives her friend a half-smile. "She loves me not."_

"_And who is this infamous she? Something you're not telling me?"_

"_Maybe it's somebody I haven't met yet."_

"_Well if she doesn't love you, why would you want to meet her?"_

_She shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe I could make her fall in love with me."_

"_I don't think you can make somebody fall in love with you, it's just something that happens. You can't cause it and you can't stop it."_

_She drops the flower stalk to the ground before pushing herself up of the grass. "Like you said Quinn, it's just a stupid game."_

* * *

Originally she thought the petal game used to be down to luck but eventually she wised up to the trick of the game and started picking flowers with an odd number of petals.

That way, she'd always win.

Sometimes she wishes life was as simple as that game. You'd be able to tell if somebody loves you or not from something as easy as picking a petal from a flower.

Sadly, life doesn't work like that.

Love isn't a game that you can wise up to the tricks, you can't cheat your way to victory, there's no cheats allowed. Instead you have to follow the process completely from start to finish, no matter how much it hurts. Sometimes, the answer to do they love me is obvious but sometimes, it's anything but.

She'd always been confident that Rachel loved her, she'd never doubted it but now, she's having a lot of doubts about her girlfriend that she never thought she would have.

She throws some clothes into a suitcase, not bothering to fold them, packing has never been something she spends much time doing. Normally throwing clothes is enough for her. She glances around her bedroom searching for anything else she might need to take. She always imagined the next time she'd have to pack it would be because she was going on her first holiday with Rachel.

It's ironic how both she and Rachel are going away only not together.

They're not in the right place to go away together.

When she was sixteen, her parents started fighting on a daily basis. It all started with a few snipes here and there every other week over little things like her father's pathetic attempt to pretend he hadn't been smoking. Things that shouldn't have been an issue yet were. Slowly, those snipes turned into raised voices and the raised voices turned into full blown arguments. As a result, she would sit in her bedroom and try to block their arguments out. Some nights she would stay at Quinn's because she needed a break, she needed to escape her house but most nights; Quinn would surprise her and come to her house.

When she asked Quinn why she always came over, Quinn had told her that she would always be there for her.

It's one of the things she's always loved about Quinn.

How much she cares about her friends.

If you forget about everything that happened with Alison, Quinn has always been there for her without her ever needing to ask and she'll always be grateful to Quinn for being there for her during her parents' rough patch.

Even when they stopped speaking, Quinn would try and start conversations, asking about her parents and whether she was okay. Sophie never answered any questions directed her way by Quinn but it still warmed her heart that Quinn cared.

Finding out that Alison didn't love her and in fact loved Quinn stung and still stings to this day. She had put her heart on the line and instead of Alison doing the same, the woman strung her along and Sophie wishes that she had just been honest with her. She was always going to be hurt but at least if she had been told, she wouldn't have invested herself in a relationship that had no future.

Obviously finding out that person Alison loved was Quinn rather than her hurt but what hurt the most was that no matter how hard she tried, it was never going to be good enough.

She was never going to be good enough for Alison.

If anything, she was just second-best to Quinn.

It's stupid and probably her paranoia flaring up but the knowledge that she wasn't good enough for Alison has led to an unsettling fear that maybe that's what is always going to happen.

There will always be somebody better than her.

She can try and be the best girlfriend possible but at the end of the day, it might not be enough.

You can fall in love with somebody at first sight, it only takes a second but it only takes a second to fall out of love with somebody. You may not realise it's happened right away but eventually, you'll realise that you don't love your partner in the same way and she's terrified of that happening again.

Not on her part because she's irrevocably in love with Rachel, she's terrified that Rachel is falling out of love with her.

After Alison, she didn't really have much luck with women. She didn't put herself out there. Her heart had been broken and remained sufficiently bruised for the remaining year of high school and the first two years of college. Santana constantly attempted to send her on dates but of the ones she agreed to go on, they never progressed to a second date. Incidentally, one of the blind dates Santana set her up on had been with a dancer that one of Santana's roommates knew. By some strange twist of fate, the dancer turned out to be Brittany.

Not her soul mate but somebody else's.

Nothing ever happened between her and Brittany, instead she chose to introduce Brittany to Santana because she knew that the woman was exactly her friend's type.

Besides, Santana was too busy focusing on Sophie's love life, or lack of one, to concentrate on her own.

Three years later and Santana and Brittany are getting married.

It's ironic how she seems to have better luck with other people's relationships rather than her own.

She did have a relationship during her final year at college with a woman called Annie which lasted five months but she never felt a gravitating pull towards her. She didn't feel the need to see her, the need to spend time with her; she wasn't in love with her and their relationship ended amicably.

Perhaps rather naively, she thought her luck with women had changed when she met Rachel. When she saw a brunette slip on the ice, she had immediately helped her up because she can only imagine how embarrassing it must have been and she wanted to help. But as soon as she locked eyes with chocolate ones, she felt her heart beat that little bit faster. It's cliché but it's true. She hadn't felt that feeling since Alison except this time, it was intensified.

As time passed and their relationship flourished, she felt herself falling deeper and deeper in love with Rachel.

She loves everything about her, even her girlfriend's quirks that Rachel decides to label as her flaws.

When she realised how deeply she had fallen for Rachel, it scared her because she hadn't given her heart to anybody except Alison and that hadn't ended the way she had hoped. Even though they've been together over a year, it still scares her how much she loves Rachel.

After the debacle with Alison and Quinn, Santana had tried to comfort her and told her that even though it sucks, there's always one person that loves the other more. She never really believed that because she thought if you were in love with each other, it would be equal, it isn't a contest but maybe Santana had a point.

The worrying thing is, Sophie thinks she's always going to be the one that loves more.

Even if it's only just a little bit more.

She wasn't lying when she told Quinn that she loved Rachel more than Alison, there's just something about her.

Something that Sophie has always been incapable of explaining or describing but Rachel has this aura surrounding her and it's impossible not to gravitate towards her. In all honesty she was surprised when Rachel announced that she'd only really had one real relationship before Sophie because Sophie had expected Rachel to have been inundated with offers.

She was utterly beautiful.

Their relationship had started off strong and had gone from strength to strength as months passed, her parents adore Rachel and her mom keeps hinting at her that she would quite like Rachel as a daughter-in-law. After meeting Rachel's dads, Rachel had assured her that they loved her and that they never really took to Finn the same way they took to her. Yet in the last few months, their relationship seems to be falling apart around them.

She's not really sure when she first noticed a change in their relationship, a change in Rachel, but she's pretty confident that it happened after the New Year. After she and Rachel had flown back to New York from Ohio, their relationship wasn't the same and even though she doesn't know what happened in Ohio, she knows something did.

It could have been something minor or something major but whatever happened, the dynamics of their relationship shifted.

There have been a few little things that Sophie's noticed in the last couple of months; things that don't necessarily mean anything but plague her with worries. Now Rachel doesn't always send her a good morning or good night text now when she used to make sure she'd do it every day. She used to say it was because Sophie was the first thing on her mind when she woke up and the last thing on her mind before she went to bed.

Another thing that's changed has been their sleeping positions. Sophie's always been somebody who likes to cuddle in bed and Rachel used to be the same. Now, whenever they sleep in the same bed, which is a rarity in itself, Rachel lies on her side facing away from Sophie. When she first moved away from Sophie, Sophie didn't really think about it and remained where she was, facing Rachel's back, within touching distance but never closing the distance between them. Now, she sleeps facing the opposite wall creating an inordinate amount of distance between them.

It's rather apt.

The distance that's obviously between them extends to all aspects of their relationship rather than just one aspect.

There are two ways she can deal with what's happening between her and Rachel. She could confront the situation head on or just bury her head in the sand, something which she's subconsciously been doing for a couple of months now.

Even though she knows things aren't okay, she finds that pretending things are okay provides her with some comfort.

"Do you want a hand?" Rachel asks as she stands in the doorway observing her girlfriend pack her suitcase. "I used to be terrible at packing but my dad taught me a neat trick to ensure everything fits."

Sophie shakes her head. "I'm fine, I think everything will fit." Rachel nods somewhat dejectedly and it pains Sophie. "If I need that trick, I'll definitely ask for it though."

Rachel smiles softly before leaving the doorway and heading towards the living room. Sophie closes her suitcase and exhales heavily. It's obvious that Rachel has something on her mind, she's being far too nervous and quiet, two traits that she doesn't normally possess but whatever is plaguing her thoughts, she hasn't chosen to enlighten Sophie just yet.

She leaves her bedroom in search of her girlfriend but doesn't have to look far; Rachel is sitting on the couch aimlessly flicking through the channels, never stopping on one channel for longer than a second.

"You'll never find out what's on if you skip through them at that speed."

Her girlfriend finally lands on a channel at the voice and puts the remote down, not sure what television show she has actually put on. "I'm pretty quick at reading the guide."

"Yeah I saw."

"Are you all packed?"

"Not quite yet. I thought I'd take a break and come to talk to you."

Rachel swallows nervously but bobs her head. After leaving Quinn's, she had headed straight for her girlfriend's apartment, making one pit stop along the way, and despite the atmosphere that is constantly clouding them now is somewhat frosty, Sophie invited her in but stated explicitly that she needed to pack and couldn't entertain her. She might have been trying to avoid her but Rachel was just glad that Sophie was talking to her.

She thought Sophie would still be mad about finding out about her audition.

As she didn't want to push her girlfriend, she waited rather impatiently until Sophie was ready to talk to her.

It broke her heart to hear her girlfriend question their entire relationship and question the role she is playing in the break down when it's all Rachel's fault. She's the one who has cheated, she's the one that is actively seeking Quinn out even though the blonde has said that they need to stay away from each other and she's the one that is developing strong feelings for somebody other than her girlfriend.

Sophie hasn't done anything wrong.

If anything, the only thing she's done wrong is that she isn't Quinn and that isn't her problem, its Rachel's.

The sight of her girlfriend standing in front of her nervously makes her heart break once more. She always presumed that if you fall for somebody else it must be because you don't love your current partner but that's not true. She does love Sophie and she can't imagine the auburn-haired woman not being in her life but she doesn't love Sophie in the way she did when they first met. Despite that, she needs her girlfriend to know that she does care for her, that their relationship isn't a lie.

"You know I love you right?"

Sophie tilts her head to the side before nodding slowly. "And you know I love you."

Rachel swallows nervously. "Yeah."

Silence descends over the women and Sophie fiddles with her fingers before taking a seat beside her girlfriend. "We can forget about moving in together, pretend I never asked."

"Do you not want to live with me?"

The question is asked with a playful tone because the tension between them right now is unbearable and she wants to break it, even if just for a second.

"I don't think you want to live with me."

She swallows once more; she most definitely didn't succeed in breaking the tension, if anything she made it worse.

"That's not true, I'm sorry…I'm just…I'm not ready."

"I understand that, I shouldn't have pushed you on it. You told me you'd think about it and I should have left it alone, you would have told me in your own time what your decision was."

Rachel shakes her head slowly. "You didn't push me."

"Yes I did," Sophie says quietly. "I thought you were ready to move forward with our relationship but I was wrong and you don't need to apologise for not being ready."

"Sophie –"

"Did you ever pull the petals off flowers when you were little? Each one represented either 'she loves me' or 'she loves me not'." Rachel nods her head because she's familiar with the game. "I used to love that game, even though it was stupid, I liked the finality of it all. One way or another, you received an answer."

"The answer isn't real though."

"I know. I just wish they were. Things would be so much simpler."

Rachel scratches a non-existent itch above her eyebrow because she knows that Sophie is trying to say she wished their relationship was simpler. Truthfully, Rachel wishes it was too. Subconsciously she licks her lips and places her hand over Sophie's. "I'm sorry I've been distant."

She really is.

Whatever is happening between her and Quinn, the feelings that are developing between her and the blonde, it isn't Sophie's fault and Rachel shouldn't be treating her differently. Granted things will naturally have changed between them and the dynamics of their relationship have shifted but the little things like informing Sophie about her successful audition shouldn't have changed.

Sophie has never just been a girlfriend; she's always been one of her best friends.

The sad thing is, she's not even really treating her like a best friend anymore.

Their relationship can't last; she knows that, it would be stupid to think that everything she's done, their relationship could be solved. But when the inevitable happens, she doesn't want to lose her best friend as well as her girlfriend.

"Do you –" Sophie starts before cutting herself off. "Why have you been distant? Is it me?"

"No, it's definitely not you."

"You know, when I was little, I used to love reading fairy tales because no matter what, they always got a happy ending. I always wanted that, the fairy tale happy ending but what the stories don't tell you is how rare they are to get and how much trouble you have to endure before you can reach it."

Rachel tilts her head. "I used to love reading them too. I think everybody has a happy ending out there, you just have to find it."

"Maybe that's true but maybe your happy ending isn't what you think it will be," Sophie says. "Maybe one person's happy ending doesn't match somebody else's."

"Sophie –"

Sophie removes her hand from underneath Rachel's and runs her fingers through her hair. "I thought about not going on this skiing trip, I thought about calling the school and telling to find another chaperone."

Rachel nods silently because she's already heard Sophie tell Quinn this.

"In the end, I decided, with some help from Quinn, that it's probably best if I go. We need some space, I don't know whether I'm smothering you or there's something else wrong but I think space will do us both some good and that way, when I come back, we can celebrate Brittany and Santana's wedding and hopefully we'll have a clearer perspective on things." Sophie curls some hair behind her ear. "On us."

"Are you breaking up with me?"

Even though she knows a break-up is impending, it still worries her that Sophie might be ending their relationship. It's strange but she always presumed that when the end of their relationship came, it would be her that instigated it, not Sophie. Deep down she knows that she's leading Sophie on but there is still an element of doubt that floats through her with regards to Quinn.

Yes, Quinn has said all the right things to her and as a result, made her feelings grow deeper but she also told her about what she was like in the past.

Quinn might be changing for her and Rachel adores her for that. It's amazing to know that she is special enough to make somebody want to change and she couldn't cope if Quinn reverted back to her old ways. Of all the things Quinn could have told her about her past, Rachel didn't expect to hear what she did.

Hearing how Quinn didn't care about women and saw everything as a challenge upset her because she didn't think Quinn would be that horrible and yes, she appreciated Quinn reassuring her that she wasn't a game to her but Quinn's been succeeding in these challenges for years so she knows exactly what to say.

The past is the past but it doesn't stop it from playing heavily on her mind.

Breaking up with Sophie is a lot easier said than done because what if she breaks up with her and things don't work out with Quinn?

Quinn hasn't ever explicitly said that she wants a relationship with Rachel; Rachel isn't even sure what Quinn wants.

It's terrifying to think about throwing an important part of your life away for something that's a risk. Something that you have no idea how it might turn out.

Should she and Quinn not work out, she doesn't want to have broken Sophie's heart for no reason.

She's not breaking up with Sophie on a whim, she needs time to realise what will happen afterwards. If Quinn asked her to break up with Sophie, then she'd know that Quinn wanted to be with her.

Right now, she doesn't feel the same way for Sophie as she used to but perhaps that is just because she's distracted by Quinn.

She's enamoured with her and that's providing a blockade on her feelings for Sophie.

Maybe if she stayed with Sophie, a couple of months down the line, they could be back to the way they were because Rachel met Quinn.

Happy and in love.

She rubs her forehead at the thought because even though she wants to believe it, she knows that Sophie isn't the one for her and whether they break up tomorrow or a year from now, the break up in unavoidable.

Still, she can't bring herself to end the relationship until she knows exactly what Quinn wants. She's not about to break somebody's heart on a whim.

She's never been a risk-taker.

Sophie places her hand back over Rachel's, entwining their fingers. "No, of course not. I don't think I'd ever be able to break up with you," she breathes out with a laugh and Rachel can't help but grimace because she's pretty sure Sophie would be able to break up with her if she found out about Quinn and Rachel. "I just think we need a break."

"They're practically the same thing."

"No they're not," Sophie reassures her. "Because when I come back from skiing, things will work out for us. I know it; we're going to find an answer to our problem. Trust me."

"I'm really sorry this is happening to us."

Sophie nods slowly but sends a small smile in her girlfriend's direction. "Every couple goes through a rough patch, my parents went through a massive rough patch and they came out the other side. There's no reason why we won't too."

Yes there is.

Rachel's eyes flutter shut before she forces them open. "When do you have to leave?"

"I have to be at the school at 6am tomorrow morning to make sure all the kids are there and get on the bus alright."

"Do you want to do something tonight?"

Sophie nods her head. "I do but I've promised I'll go to my parents' house for dinner." Rachel smiles dejectedly because clearly having space from each other is starting now. "I'll call you tomorrow morning before I get on the plane though."

"Okay."

Sophie tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. "I best finish packing." She pauses momentarily before leaning forward and kissing her girlfriend's cheek. "I love you."

She's walking towards her bedroom when she hears Rachel say I love you too and she can't help but smile at her girlfriend's words. Once inside her bedroom, she closes the door behind her, leaving it slightly ajar. Instead of opening her suitcase she sits on the bed beside her and buries her head in her hands, breathing heavily. Raising her head, her eyes fall on the flowers that Rachel bought her as an apology for their argument and not telling Sophie about her audition. Rachel had bought her a bunch of tulips, her favourite flowers, and her heart had soared at the fact that Rachel remembered her favourite flowers, even though she'd only mentioned it once when they first started dating.

Standing up she walks over to the flowers and her fingers graze lightly over one of the flower, tracing the petals delicately. If she picked the petals off one by one, she wonders what the answer will be.

She didn't think love was as simple as picking the petals off a flower but perhaps in some lurid way, it is. The more petals you pull off, the worse the flower looks. Maybe the same can be said for relationships. The more doubts and arguments you have, the worse it looks.

The worse it is.

* * *

She fiddles with her fingers while Kurt rushes about the kitchen preparing dinner for the pair of them. He insisted on making dinner because they hadn't spent much time together in recent weeks and he wanted them to have a catch up.

Basically he wants to have a gossip with her and find out if she's keeping any secrets from him.

Rachel appreciates the gesture now more than anything because after her conversation with Sophie she realised something, she can't keep everything that's happening between her and Quinn a secret anymore. Quinn told Santana about their secret liaisons, she's unloaded part of the burden, maybe it's about time Rachel did the same.

Maybe telling somebody about what's happening between her and Quinn will make her feel better, she'll gain another perspective and a fresh pair of eyes is always useful.

Kurt sets a glass of water down in front of Rachel before sitting down next to her at the dining table, sipping his glass of wine. "Dinner won't be too much longer."

"You really didn't need to do all this on your own Kurt; I would have helped you cook."

Kurt laughs. "You can do the washing up since you're so keen to help."

Rachel bobs her head. "It's a deal."

Kurt sips his wine before tilting his head to the side. "How are things with you and Sophie?"

"What do you mean?"

"Last night, in your drunken stupor you told me you'd had an argument," Kurt explains. "I asked what about but you told me it was a secret and that was all I got out of you. I must say, although you are an adorable drunk, your ability to keep a secret even after a significant amount of liquor is rather impressive. Have you patched things up?"

Rachel licks her lips. "It depends what you mean by patch things up. For now, things are okay. I can't tell you whether things will continue to be that way in the future though. Then again, nobody knows what the future holds do they?"

"Are you breaking up with her?"

Rachel shakes her head but doesn't speak.

"Has she said something about not wanting to be with you?"

Again, the brunette shakes her head.

Kurt frowns. "Then why wouldn't things continue to be okay between the pair of you. You love each other, I can see that. I've been able to see that since the day you introduced her to me."

"Kurt –"

"What aren't you telling me Rachel?"

"Kurt –"

"Why wouldn't things be okay between you and her?"

Rachel holds her hand up, putting an end to any more questions that Kurt might want to ask. "I was going to tell you but you kept interrupting me."

Kurt looks sheepish for a second. "Sorry, go ahead."

Rachel exhales heavily before looking at her roommate. "I think I'm in love with somebody else Kurt, somebody that isn't Sophie."

Her friend momentarily freezes at the confession. "When you say in love with –"

"I can't stop thinking about her. I know I have a tendency to be dramatic but when I say that she is all I think about nowadays, I'm not over-exaggerating. Whenever I'm with Sophie, I should be thinking about her because she's my girlfriend but I'm not, I'm thinking about somebody else. She told me that we shouldn't see each other anymore and the thought of not seeing her was unbearable so I started seeking her out. Last night, after you went to bed, I went to see her." Rachel curls some hair behind her ear. "I have butterflies in my stomach every time I'm near her."

"May I ask who this infamous woman is?"

Rachel shrugs. "You don't know her."

Kurt gives his friend a half-smile. "Then it shouldn't matter if you tell me her name or not, I'm not going to recognise it."

"You'll recognise the name."

"Now you have to tell me who it is."

Rachel furrows her brows but for some reason she can't fault his logic. "Her name is Quinn."

"Quinn?" Kurt repeats before quirking his eyebrow. "She's the one who you couldn't stop talking about before Christmas." She bobs her head. "I guess she really did have the Rachel Berry seal of approval."

Rachel smacks him on the arm lightly. "Can you be serious for a minute please Kurt?"

"Sorry," he replies quietly before tapping his fingers against his thigh. "What's she like?"

"I've just told you that I think I'm in love with somebody other than my girlfriend and you're asking me what she is like. Do you not want to shout at me or something? I think I'd appreciate it if you did."

Kurt cocks his head to the side. "Why would I tell you off? You can't help who you fall in love with." He pauses for a second and studies his friend before gasping loudly. "You've not just fallen for her have you? Are you sleeping with her?"

Rachel doesn't answer and her silence is the only answer Kurt needs.

"Are you telling me that you, Rachel Barbra Berry, who spent your entire relationship with Finn worrying that he was going to cheat on you, is cheating on her girlfriend?"

"That's a great help Kurt, make me feel worse than I already do."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to, it's just…I never expected you to cheat on somebody you love."

"Neither did I," Rachel breathes out. "And just to be clear, I'm not sleeping with her; I've slept with her once. It's not a common occurrence."

"But you'd like it to be?"

"I don't know what I want Kurt."

Kurt places his wine glass on the table before standing to check on dinner. He returns a couple of seconds later and sits back down. "Okay, first things first, tell me what she's like."

At the mere thought of Quinn, a smile crosses the brunette's face. "She's…she's perfect Kurt," she finally says after a few seconds of silence. "I mean, she's not. She's flawed, quite a bit actually especially when it comes to relationships but those flaws…I don't know why but they just make her more perfect to me if that makes sense." Kurt bobs his head along with her. "There's just something about her, I can't stay away from her. At first I thought maybe it was because Quinn was new and exciting, she had that bad girl vibe about her and obviously she's undeniably beautiful so I was attracted to her and even though I never expected it to become anything more, I was just kidding myself. As we got to know each other more, I realised that it wasn't just a superficial attraction, I had feelings for her and they've only grown deeper and deeper as time has passed. I liked her, I think I did from the minute I met her but now –" Rachel subconsciously licks her lips.

"Now it's something more."

"Yeah," Rachel agrees. "Now it's something more." She exhales heavily before catching Kurt staring at her out of the corner of his eye. "What?"

"I haven't seen you like this since you first started dating Finn."

"You were the one who pushed me to ask Finn out, to take a risk. It was because of you that we dated; tell me what to do now. Please Kurt; I really need your help."

"If you love somebody else Rachel, it's not fair to string Sophie along. You're only going to hurt her even more."

Rachel shakes her head. "I'm not stringing her along; I mean…I don't mean to, I love her too. I don't want to ruin my relationship with her for something that I'm not even sure of. I don't want to needlessly break her heart, I know she's not the one and that we'll break up eventually but I don't want to leave her for Quinn and destroy their friendship when Quinn and I…well there isn't even a Quinn and I."

"Have Quinn told you how she feels?"

"She hasn't told me no," Rachel answers him. "I overheard her tell somebody she loved me but she hasn't told me."

"But you know how she feels, why does it matter if she hasn't said it to you?"

"I want her to tell me, I want to hear it for myself," Rachel says. "I know that's probably stupid but I just…until she says it to me, I don't know if I can believe it. Quinn's never lied to me about how she was in the past and now she's saying she's changed because of me but I don't understand why she would. I'm nothing special Kurt, she could have anybody, and I probably pale in comparison to some of the women she's been with in the past."

Kurt places his hand over his roommates and shuffles a little closer. "In high school, I found you ridiculously annoying sometimes and you had a tendency to be incredibly selfish, especially in Glee Club –"

"Is this supposed to cheer me up?"

"You're my best friend Rachel, you have been for years because despite those flaws, you are amazing, don't ever doubt yourself or compare yourself to somebody else because your flaws only make you a better person. You're Rachel Berry, why wouldn't she want to change for you?"

"She hasn't seen my flaws yet."

Kurt chuckles. "You've seen hers and it doesn't change the way you feel about her, why should your flaws change the way she feels about you?" Rachel simply shrugs. "You don't fall in love with somebody because they're perfect; you fall in love with them because they're not but they're still perfect to you."

"I never wanted this to happen."

"Nobody ever does," Kurt says as he pulls his friend into a hug. "I think you need to tell her what you've told me. From what you've told me, she's been pretty open with you about her past and I'm guessing that can't have been easy for her, maybe it's time you showed her the same courtesy because I bet you, she's probably having these doubts as well. Until you both tell each other how you feel, neither of you are going to know what to do and poor Sophie is going to be hurt."

"I thought you would have told me to break things off with Quinn."

"The first time you introduced me to Sophie, you had this glint in your eyes and it was so telling because you had that same glint when you first started dating Finn," Kurt explains. "I've seen that glint in your eyes once more and that was the night Quinn gave you a lift home from Brittany's dance recital. I know you Rachel Berry; you're not the kind of person who has affairs so whatever is between you and Quinn must be serious and you know me, I've never been one to stand in the way of true love."

"True love?"

Kurt gives her a lop-sided smile. "In all seriousness, my advice would be to talk to Quinn. Since you don't want to break up with Sophie until you're sure about Quinn, talk to her. That's the only way you're going to be sure and I'm going to give you a harsh truth right now," he explains before standing up. "Tell Sophie the truth or break up with her because if she finds out from somebody else, she'll never forgive you Rachel and I know how much she means to you, I don't want to see you be heartbroken either."

"Everything's such a mess."

"You've always been one for drama," he tells her before checking on dinner one final time. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**Amanda** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I hope you didn't sit and wait too long for this update and I also hope you're not dead ;)

**Blair** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Haha, I probably shouldn't take that as a compliment but I'm going to. The truth is coming out soon so don't worry, you will have your Faberry without having to feel guilty but even after the truth comes out, it's still going to be hard for them

**Anon **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :)

Quinn's a very attentive and thoughtful person when she wants to be, especially when Rachel is concerned. I'm seeing how many times I can include little things in this story, it's a personal challenge haha. I thought that because Quinn didn't remember her whole drunken conversation with Rachel, Rachel should remember this one. They can't help it, they both want to try and do the right thing but it turns out that the right thing for them isn't the right thing for everybody else but they just can't stay away. Haha, I do my very best :)

That was more of an immediate rebuttal haha, slightly shrugging off her obvious attraction. She really is determined, I hope I didn't push it too far with the whole Amy Belle, it seems to have gained mixed emotions from reviewers. No, she's in the know, that's what she referred to when she told Rachel that Quinn doesn't do nice things for people unless she wants something but Sophie will bring it up again after the reveal, because obviously she doesn't know that Quinn has been honest with Rachel. That is what she needed to hear but unbelievably Rachel still has doubts. The knowledge in the back of her head regarding Amy Belle probably has something to do that because even though she didn't berate Quinn for it, it's still there in the back of her mind. But you're right, you can't help who you fall for.

No, you're not crazy and you might get your wish. I won't break your heart, don't worry about that but there's still going to be some uncomfortable tension between Karen and Rachel, mainly for Rachel because Karen's so laid-back.

I'm sorry, I don't mean ;) You can like Sophie again, after this chapter she's disappearing for a couple so don't worry. I know what you mean; being a reader is a hard life. Imagine how Quinn and Rachel felt if you found it heartbreaking haha. When Sophie finds out about everything, the knowledge that Quinn lied to her face is going to hurt even more.

It must have been indeed. How did you think the conversation between the two of them went? I don't think it went how people might have been expecting because Rachel didn't make any of the important decisions.

I'm glad she's loved :)

**Leanmean** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I should put that in my author notes, neither I nor this story can be blamed for lack of productivity haha. I hope you ended up getting whatever work that you needed to do done :) I don't want to be the reason you don't do your work. I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to update three times a day but I'll do my best to get the regular updates back on track

**Guest** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) Sophie may do something that will make you not like her but it will be after the reveal so you might find it justified. She's disappearing from the story now for a few chapters though so no time to make you not like her :P I agree, forgiving somebody once is fine but when they practically do the same thing again, it's not easy. Everybody will end up as happy as they can be though. I think Karen's just content with life at the moment, she's happily enjoying it.

**Flyingpinguin1** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :)

I had to include the coasters, that was always my intention :) Haha, I'm glad you find both drunk and hungover Rachel adorable.

One thing that Quinn has always been with Rachel is honest, from the first night they met, Quinn never claimed to be anything else and in the last chapter, she told Rachel exactly how she was like. She'll continue to be honest because she's going to tell Rachel how Alison broke her heart and she hasn't told anybody that. I'm glad you thought the scene showed Quinn's maturity. I don't know, if somebody said those things to me, I'd probably be drawn to them.

I'm interested to know whether your feelings for Sophie have changed at all as a result of this chapter because it showed her feelings more than have been shown in the past. She's going to disappear now until the wedding but then she'll become more prominent in this story. Hopefully a good mess that's enjoyable to read.

She's maturing in her relationship with Quinn but with Sophie, she's still the same person she's always been and that includes not being perfectly honest with her. I'd say you should be excited because I'm hoping that the chapters will be good. Vegas is up next.

That's exactly right and Rachel's explained that in this chapter. She's not about to needlessly break her girlfriend's heart when she's not 100% sure she's in love with Quinn, or rather 100% ready to accept that she is. Now they've both got a few days (and Vegas) to enjoy without Sophie being near them so their guards may well drop and that will help Rachel accept her feelings.

Awesome song choices :)

Haha, no, I'm afraid you can't marry Karen. She's mine ;) I'm nice though so I'll share :P Although I'm glad you think Karen is the next best thing after Rachel and Quinn.

**Jade** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad Karen is becoming your favourite character, she'll pop up quite a bit in the Vegas chapters and she will continue to make Rachel feel rather uncomfortable (although not on purpose). Haha, incidentally that's how I imagined the scene happening. If she moved in with Quinn that might cause even more problems with Rachel since her jealously has made her dislike the woman for no real reason other than she's always with Quinn. I know why you would have wanted that but I'm saving the proper argument for the reveal. I think saving it for them will make their argument better because up until now, Quinn hasn't really seen Sophie lose her temper. You'll only have to feel bad for what Quinn and Rachel are doing for a little longer. Thank you very much :)

**QuinnFan** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) I can completely understand why you didn't like the thing with Amy because it was horrible of Quinn but it was necessary to show how much she is changing. She wouldn't dream of doing that to somebody anymore because she knows what it is like to love somebody and not sure whether they love you back since she's not 100% sure of Rachel's feelings. It's not going to turn out in Saint Sophie and Demon Quinn though so don't worry. Quinn is actually going to redeem herself a little and head away from the Demon title.

Of all the awkward situations I can imagine being in, that would probably be one of the worst because there's nothing you can do but listen. Hopefully it will be epic :) I don't want to give too much away but I will say that Santana and Brittany do get married before anything kicks off, whether they ruin the day after that though, I'm not saying.

You're welcome :) Thank you, I'm glad you like my writing style. Well I'm really glad that you enjoy reading this story, gracias :)

**Levis** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Firstly, don't apologise for your poor English because it isn't poor :)

I will admit that I did think 4 months might be too long but falling in love isn't always as quick as it has been for Rachel and Quinn and in my head, Amy would have wanted to be sure since it was something she was passionate about. Quinn's determined, once she sets her mind on something, she's going to achieve it, no matter how long it takes. That's why she couldn't stay away from Rachel. She pursued her for a good three and a half months before deciding she needed to back off so I think Quinn can do that but then again, I appreciate everybody's opinion so if you think it's contrived, fair enough :) Yes, Sophie knows the fact, that's why she said to Rachel that Quinn doesn't do nice things unless she wants something. Sophie will most definitely bring up the past with Quinn to Rachel to try and show Rachel who the person she loves has been in the past (as she won't know that Quinn has already been honest with Rachel). And Quinn is going to make amends with Amy Belle, who knows, maybe they'll both be in Vegas at the same time ;)

She has forgiven Quinn but she hasn't forgotten and every now and again, especially when she knows that Quinn has done something for her girlfriend, she remembers the heartache and it brings the past back to the present but on the surface, she has forgiven her.

Thank you :) I'm glad you like their dynamic. Hopefully the want for them to be together will continue to grow in the upcoming chapters.

I agree with you except Quinn trusts Sophie because Sophie has never done anything to lose her trust but she's not a best friend to Sophie so their friendship isn't going to recover. At least, it will never be the way it was, they may end up being civil but calling what they're going to have in the future a 'friendship' will be tough.

I understand you found it forced and unconvincing but hopefully when it is mentioned again, you'll understand the necessity of it. Quinn, after all, was horrible in the past. But I'm glad you liked everything else :) I'm glad you like Karen as well, she really is the light relief that Quinn desperately needs right now.

**Lealover** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's good, I want people to want Quinn and Rachel together but also, a part of them feels sorry so the fact that you've just said that's how you feel is good to hear :) In fairness to Sophie, she didn't know that Artie was directing a Broadway play, if she had done, the idea might have crossed her mind (then again, it might not have). I agree, love is about going the extra mile and now Rachel has to make Quinn's dreams come true.

**RelatableSock** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much :) I think the explanation you've given is a good one. I agree with you, Quinn may be changing for the better but I guess, she's still a little selfish but in fairness to her, she did try to back off, she just can't stay away from Rachel. I think she is controlling her desires though because they haven't done anything more than kiss since Quinn found out who Rachel was and Quinn has stopped the last couple of times they've kissed. With regards to Rachel, I agree with you again. It's a big ask though to throw a relationship that you've invested the last year of your life in over something that nobody knows if it will last. Rachel's not a risk taker, she prefers comfort.

I'm sorry that happened to you, it can't be nice being used by something. Luckily that's never happened to me but I can imagine it being incredible heart breaking. As for the part where you said you would fall into desire immediately if she wanted me, that's understandable. You'll do anything for something that you care deeply for, even if it's wrong.

Even though you can't do that, I hope that you haven't let it happen again to you :)

**Annie** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I agree and things are just going to get worse for poor Sophie

**Myshipsank **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) How did you find the Kurt and Rachel chat? For Quinn, I felt breaking down to Santana was more appropriate for her character but for Rachel, I've always written her as somebody who is incredibly self-conscious and doesn't believe in herself, other than when she's singing, so I felt like she wouldn't break down. She just needed reassurance and guidance. I hope I did Kurt justice.

You can say it as much as you want because I always love hearing it. I'll allow you to dislike Sophie for that reason :P Yes, Santana and Brittany will make an appearance in the next chapter and then the next couple after that. They won't disappear again for a while. I really want to go to Vegas, although there would be no point in me going for another month because I'm not legal to drink yet in America haha. I hope you have a good time in May :) That's the plan, hopefully everybody will enjoy the Vegas chapters :)

Thank you very much, I really appreciate that and I'm glad it makes you want to continue writing :) Bye.

**Alicja** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much, I appreciate that :) Yeah, Rachel was slowly coming to terms with her feelings but as you'll have just read, she now knows how far her feelings extend. You're right about there being a reason why she sought Quinn out. The fact that she isn't a saint makes her even more perfect in Rachel's eyes as well. She'll bring up those ugly issues of Quinn's past though, the fact that Quinn gave her heartfelt speech afterwards made her forget a little about her past but she'll remember. Incidentally, Rachel didn't even make the decision in this chapter, Sophie made it for her. She doesn't seem to be very good at making decision haha but that will change soon. She's not going to be hurting Quinn for much longer. Hopefully she'll be pretty damn furious and there will be a screaming match between the two of them when everything comes out. I apologise for the longer wait for this update but Vegas fun is coming up next.

**Polux** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Yeah, Quinn is incredibly torn but she's going to make a decision within the upcoming chapters that will stop her being torn. I don't envy her situation either. It's interesting that you don't care for Sophie but yeah, it must suck to be cheated on. Luckily I've never experienced it. Haha, thank you :) Vegas starts next chapter so not long to wait now and you're welcome. I'm happy to respond to people's reviews. I think you make sense so don't worry, till next chapter :)

**Guest** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's good to hear. That's been happening gradual, she's fallen out of love with Sophie but she still loves her so it's confusing at the minute but she'll realise soon, don't worry. No offence towards Sophie taken haha. So many people seem to want Sophie and Karen together, it really does amaze me. Unfortunately, that's not going to happen though.

**VGA** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) You're most welcome :) No, she was most definitely not a Saint but she's said that since chapter 1 so her honesty is quite refreshing. Quinn and Sophie aren't ever going to be best friends again but don't worry, Faberry will be safe. It's coming next :)

**Redphoenix198** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) So I managed to bring you back (a little) onto Sophie's side with the previous chapter? That's good, that's what I wanted. If Quinn hadn't organised the audition for Rachel, Sophie would have been happier for her girlfriend but her paranoia surfaced because of Quinn.

Rachel's stopped thinking that they need to stay away from each other because that just doesn't happen. They're incapable of staying away from each other. In the first few months of knowing each other, Quinn did sort of try to see Rachel with the audition and flying to Ohio but now Rachel is always trying to see Quinn and it's because of how Quinn feels that she's pulling back because she knows how deep she is in. A decision has been made in this chapter; sort of, but not by Rachel. She's not good at making decisions. She knows she's falling for Quinn and deep down, she knows she's falling out of love with Sophie but she still does love Sophie and it is that love that's keeping her there.

I agree with you but whatever their friendship is at the minute, it's not going to stay that way for much longer because it's going to be well and truly ruined. Sophie is still bitter and Quinn is slightly selfish but they do care for each other in their own weird ways.

I'm glad you loved that, I like to think Quinn is really sweet and she would be an amazing girlfriend. I'll see if I can include more of those "little things" to make you swoon so more. I agree with you, they're made for each other.

It will indeed, don't worry about that. Thank you :)


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: I apologise for the wait again with this chapter. I will sort myself out soon and will try to make updates more frequent. Also, fanfiction doesn't seem to be sending me emails anymore so I apologise if people send me messages and I take a while to respond. I'm not ignoring you. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Words (minus responses to reviews) - **4953**

* * *

**Chapter 24:**

She glances at her watch and huffs in an exasperated manner, ensuring her huff is loud enough for the woman in the bedroom to hear. She waits quietly for another couple of seconds and hears the sound of footsteps pacing in the bedroom but her friend has yet to make an appearance.

Leaning back against the couch, she huffs once more before glancing at her watch for the second time. She never used to worry about punctuality but then she met Brittany and her fiancée is surprisingly punctual and dislikes being late which has forced Santana into the habit of being early.

"Hurry up Quinn; we're supposed to be at the airport in fifteen minutes. I swear, if you've only just started packing, I'm gonna' –"

Several seconds later, Quinn leaves her bedroom, wheeling a small suitcase behind her. "I'm finished, there's no need to panic. The place doesn't leave for another three hours."

"We have to check in."

"I have to say, Brittany has imposed many good traits on you but I severely dislike your sudden need for punctuality, whatever happened to the girl who would always be half an hour for Cheerleading practice because you were with your latest boy toy."

Santana rolls her eyes. "I know you don't like flying and seriously, how did you hide this phobia from me for over ten years?" She questions but continues talking before Quinn can answer. "Leaving everything to last minute in the hope that we'll miss the flight isn't going to work; we are flying out of JFK in three hours."

Quinn scratches her eyebrow. "That's not what I was doing."

Santana smirks. "If you say so."

The blonde scowls at her before resting her suitcase next to Santana's. "Do you think you've packed enough stuff?" She asks as she notes silently that Santana's suitcase is double the size of hers. "I mean, we're there for an entire weekend, I think you might need some more things," she tells her friend in a very sarcastic manner.

"I'd say the balance in my suitcase is 70:30, not in favour of clothes," she replies causing Quinn to frown. "Let's just say that if something in that case starts to vibrate, I'm going to be pulled aside by airport security if you catch my drift."

Quinn's eyes widen in momentary realisation. "I think I'd be hard-pressed to not catch your drift," she says while running her fingers through her hair. "I thought you and Brittany still had the whole no sex before your wedding rule? I mean, you've booked separate rooms?"

Santana shrugs. "Why do you think I'm bringing toys?"

"You're right, that was a stupid question."

"Besides –" Santana begins as she pushes herself off the couch. "Brittany's going to succumb eventually; she's incapable of resisting me. All I have to do is pout and she just crumbles. Vegas is only going to help me, vast quantities of liquor and sexy dancers, she'll totally get into the spirit of Sin City. Who knows, maybe you'll be lucky and get some too."

"I'm not going with the plan of sleeping with anybody."

"I never thought I'd say this but you have completely lost your mojo Quinn."

The blonde laughs. "Mojo? Since when did you become Austin Powers?"

"I'm serious; you need to get back out there. Meet some random women and relive your one-night stands. Lack of sex is making you unbearably grumpy and I'm not being funny, but you haven't half been a moody bitch these last couple of months."

Quinn scoffs. "You know when I'm trying to remember why we're friends, I recall all those times when you've been brutally honest with me. Who needs compliments and warm sentiments when you tell it how it is."

The right hand side of Santana's mouth curls upwards in a half smile. "Look, I know things haven't been easy for you recently, what with the whole Rachel situation." Quinn exhales quietly but doesn't interrupt. "Q, you have got to stop torturing yourself. She's dating somebody; she's not putting her life on hold for you, why are you doing it for her?"

"I am not putting my life on hold for her," Quinn bites back. "Just because I don't want to have sex with random women in Vegas doesn't mean I'm waiting for Rachel. Trust me; I am under no illusion that she's putting her life on hold for me."

Strictly, that's not true. She doesn't want to do anything that could potentially jeopardise her chance, if one even exists, with Rachel and sleeping around with strange women would most definitely ruin her chance.

"Six months ago that was all you did."

"I'm mature now," Quinn says proudly.

Santana cocks her head to the side and stares at her friend. She's noticed the change in Quinn, so has Brittany, Brittany noticed it first though obviously. At first, she wasn't sure what was causing her friend's sudden change in behaviour, her hesitance to date Karen, how she never recalled stories about her one-night stands anymore when they met for a catch up but now it all makes sense. Truthfully, it started making sense as soon as Quinn confessed to having feelings for Rachel.

Rachel is the reason she's trying to mature.

If Rachel was single, Santana would be all for Quinn trying to change for the better. When Quinn said that Santana used to be worse than her when it came to sex, she was right but settling down with Brittany has made her look at relationships and sex differently. She can't imagine reverting back to one-night stands; sex has come to mean something to her.

Something that she never thought it would.

It used to just be fun but now, with Brittany, there's a whole level of connection between the two of them and everything is maximised, the feelings, the euphoria, the closeness, everything feels better.

She wants Quinn to share that experience with somebody and it devastates her that Quinn might just have found that with Rachel but as it stands, Quinn is currently changing for somebody who can't be with her.

At least not now.

Not while she's still dating Sophie.

Even if they become a couple in the future, there will always be a level of animosity between Quinn and Sophie and Rachel and Sophie, animosity that Santana highly doubts would ever dissipate.

"How are things with you and Rachel?" Santana asks quietly because she's unsure how Quinn will react. The knowledge that they need to arrive at the airport soon has slipped out of the forefront of her mind. "Have you stayed away from her?"

Quinn swallows before meeting her friend's gaze. She knows Santana will be able to see through a lie; Quinn might as well be transparent when it comes to her friend and Santana has always been able to see things that Quinn would prefer nobody saw.

"No."

"Quinn –"

"It's not easy okay," Quinn tells her sharply. "Do you really think it's easy to stay away from her? You and Brittany both met when you were single and now you're getting married, you're getting that happy ending you wanted since you were a child." She pauses for a second and hears Santana grumble something about how that wasn't what she used to want, even though Quinn knows it is. She can put up as much of a bravado as she likes but deep down, she's just a softy and Quinn knows that. "I'm thrilled for you and her, I really am, but sometimes life doesn't work out as neatly as that. There are complications and speed bumps and that's what I'm experiencing now. I know I should probably avoid them because they can be damaging but I can't because right now, my head isn't in control. My heart is and I know you told me to stay away from her and I did try but at the end of the day, it was just too hard and staying away from her is hurting me so I don't intend to stay away. Even if it's wrong."

Santana's silent for several seconds before tilting her head to the side. "Did you just use a car driving over speed bumps analogy to describe your situation with Rachel?"

Quinn blushes lightly. "It sounded better in my head than it did out loud."

"I've never heard you talk about somebody in that way before.

Quinn shrugs once more and grabs the handle on her suitcase. "Like I said, I'm maturing."

"Are you going to be okay this weekend? I mean, Rachel's going to be there and Sophie isn't," Santana states slowly. "Las Vegas, no girlfriend, hotel rooms, alcohol, I can only imagine the temptation you'll face."

"I am capable of resisting temptation Santana."

Santana quirks her eyebrow. "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

* * *

When she flew to and from Ohio, she thought that would be the last time she entered an aeroplane for the foreseeable future yet here she is, sat in a window seat, staring at the sky as the plane flies surprisingly smooth. She thought they were going to experience turbulence, that's always how she imagined flying.

The prospect of turbulence is probably one of the reasons why she dislikes flying so much.

Her fingers drum against the arm rest as she closes her eyes, it's an irrational fear. Statistically she's more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the airport than she is in a plane crash yet she drives practically every day and doesn't worry about crashing.

She breathes in heavily, desperately trying to calm herself down. The more she thinks about flying, the more scared she becomes and the more ridiculous her thoughts of what could go wrong become.

"Can I sit here?"

Her eyes snap open at the voice and she turns her head away from the window towards the aisle where Rachel is standing, pointing at the seat beside Quinn.

"Karen's sitting there," she tells her regrettably. "She's just nipped to the toilet."

Rachel shrugs and takes the seat anyway. "She can sit where I was. I had to move, there are only so many sexual and explicit comments about joining the mile high club that I can take. Santana really doesn't have a filter does she?"

"No," Quinn replies. "Especially when sex is involved."

Rachel chuckles lightly and fastens her seatbelt when the light flashes above her. She turns to look at Quinn only to find the blonde already with a fastened seatbelt. "You're prepared."

"I didn't undo it." She takes a sip of her drink, grimacing as it hits the back of her throat. Vodka has never been her choice of tipple, especially not at three o'clock in the afternoon but she needs something to take the edge off flying.

"Isn't it a little early to be drinking?" Rachel asks curiously. "I mean I know we're going to Vegas and the amount of alcohol that will be consumed this weekend will be surplus but we're not there yet."

Quinn wraps her free hand around the glass. "It's either drink or Santana will sedate me."

"Why would Santana sedate you?"

Quinn stiffens as the plane jolts and her grip on the arm rest tightens immensely, her eyes instinctively closing as the plane continues to jolt slightly.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course."

Rachel frowns at the blonde before prying Quinn's right hand away from the arm rest and entwining their fingers. "The arm rest can't squeeze back, feel free to squeeze as hard as you want," she states, giving the hand a gentle squeeze to reassure her.

Quinn allows her eyes to open and drop towards their entwined fingers, a slow smile spreading across her face.

Rachel really is perfect; every little thing she does makes that more apparent.

She's about to talk when the plane jolts once more and her hand squeezes Rachel's harder than she would have expected and she watches Rachel flinch at the sudden pressure causing guilt to flood through her.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Quinn exhales heavily as the voice over the intercom apologising for the sudden turbulence before explaining that it should be clear skies for the rest of the flight but her hand doesn't leave Rachel's.

"I'm not a great flier."

"I would never have guessed," Rachel teases lightly. "You flew to Ohio though, why would you do that if you're terrified of flying?"

"I'm not terrified," Quinn lies.

"Quinn."

Quinn sighs. "I told you, I wanted to see in the New Year with you," she replies and Rachel's heart swells at the statement.

She thought it was sweet enough of Quinn to make the trip but now learning that Quinn made the trip even though she's terrified of flying warms her heart that little bit more.

It makes her feel even more special.

Quinn seems to have the ability to always make her feel special.

"You didn't need to do that, you could have just told me. I would have understood."

"You were courteous enough to invite me, I didn't want to let you down. Seeing you smile made the whole trip worthwhile."

Rachel squeezes her friend's hand. "You're impossibly sweet."

"I'm not called sweet very often."

"Well I think you are."

Quinn smiles warmly at the brunette and shuffles closer to her. "You just bring it out of me; I can't be anything but sweet around you."

Rachel blushes lightly. "Quinn, I know this weekend is supposed to be about giving Brittany and Santana a last weekend of freedom before they settle down but I was hoping we could take some time to talk."

Quinn pales slightly. "Whenever people say they want to talk, it's hardly ever good."

"In that case," Rachel starts. "Maybe this will be the exception to the rule."

* * *

Quinn inserts her key card into the slot before opening the door to her hotel room. Since Santana and Brittany had the whole no sex before the wedding business, Brittany had decided that it would be best if they slept in separate rooms, that way the temptation would be diminished. Brittany is sharing a room with Karen, Brittany's friends, Mercedes and Tina, who Quinn has yet to have a proper conversation with, are sharing and since Sophie never made the trip, Rachel now has her own room, leaving Quinn with the luxury of sharing with Santana.

"Not too shabby," Santana comments as she closes the door behind them and rests her suitcase against the wall. "I call that bed."

Quinn follows the Latina's gaze. "Are you six? You can't just call things."

Santana brushes past her friend and lies down on her bed. "Sure I can, I've just called this bed."

Quinn rolls her eyes in a humorous fashion before tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. The conversation she had shared with Santana regarding Rachel earlier today had been their first one since Quinn confessed to being in love with Rachel in the bridal shop and she has always had one worry at the back of her mind.

"Santana?"

Her friend hums her answer.

"Do you hate me?"

Santana sits up abruptly. "Hate you?"

"For what I've done," Quinn clarifies. "Everything with Alison and now Rachel, I've already hurt Sophie once before and now I'm doing again. Except this time, I've burdened you with the information about Rachel and I so I might be ruining your own friendship with Sophie and I don't –" She swallows hard. "I never wanted to do that."

"I could never hate you Quinn, I hate what's happening and I wish that you weren't in this situation but you're my best friend, that means I'm here for you through the good times and the downright shit times. I'm not going anywhere."

"I wish this wasn't happening."

Santana curls some hair behind her ear. "You can't help who or when you fall in love, it's not something you can control Quinn. I know, I wasn't exactly giddy for you and Rachel when I first found out but –" She pinches the bridge of her nose. "I saw how you were with her on the plane; you looked at her like she was the only person in the world that mattered."

"When I'm with her, she is the only person that matters. I'm enamoured with her Santana."

Santana stands from the bed and wraps her arms around her friend in a quick hug. Brittany's been helping her be more in touch with her emotional side and she's grateful for that help right now.

"Since you obviously can't stay away from her, you need to tell Sophie," Santana states firmly. "She thinks she has a future with Rachel, you have to tell her that she doesn't."

"I can't speak for Rachel."

Santana scoffs. "If Rachel wanted a future with Sophie, she would never have slept with you. A future for the pair of them is non-existent; I think that would be true even if you weren't involved."

"You don't know that," Quinn tells her. "Sophie always seemed happy with her, that happiness has only started to fade since I became a prominent feature in Rachel's life. If Rachel had never met me, they'd still be happy."

"How do you know?" Santana questions lightly. "Look, you know better than anybody that Brittany and I have a tendency to argue. I've slept in your spare room enough times but I would never jeopardise my relationship with her by cheating on her. I could never imagine not being with her."

"So you're saying Rachel can't possibly love Sophie because she cheated."

"I'm not saying that at all," Santana says. "I'm sure she does love her. What I'm saying is that I doubt she would have cheated if she didn't want to, people do make conscious decisions, even when they think they don't."

"People make mistakes."

"Yeah, but most people learn from their mistakes," Santana states. "She hasn't just cheated once, you've kissed since. Maybe you can label one time as a mistake but you have to ask yourself Quinn, at what point does it stop becoming a mistake and start becoming something you wanted. Something you actively sought out."

"So what do I do?"

Santana runs her fingers through her hair before opening the mini-bar. "Well Q, we're in Vegas, Sin City. What do you want to do?"

* * *

Her finger trails the rim of her glass before she takes a sip of her water; a small part of her feels like she should join in with the majority of the group and drink alcoholic beverages rather than water but her distaste for liquor is winning at the moment.

It's a shame the same can't be said for everybody else.

They only entered the bar just under an hour ago and Quinn is already drunk, Rachel can tell from the way she remains sat down because when she did attempt to stand up, Santana had to steady her. That proved a difficult task since Santana isn't exactly verging on sober either. It is her hen night, they're allowed to be drunk, Rachel was just hoping she'd be able to have a conversation with Quinn at some point but that looked less and less likely the more drinks she had.

"Quinn's popular tonight."

Rachel stills at the voice before looking over her shoulder to see a group of women crowding around Quinn. Some sitting at the table with her while others stand nearby, a plethora of liquor resting on the table and they appear to be playing some form of drinking game.

She bites back her jealousy and brings her attention back to her drink. "It would appear so." Rachel frowns ever so slightly as the woman takes the available seat beside.

"Can I get you a drink?"

"I'm not a big drinker," Rachel tells her.

"You'll have to forgive me, it's just the last time I saw you, you certainly seemed like you enjoyed a drink."

"Well I don't."

Karen holds her hands up in surrender before gesturing at the bartender and ordering two bourbon and cokes. "How come you're sitting over here on your own when the party is over there?"

"I've never been one for raucous parties so Las Vegas isn't exactly my ideal destination for a weekend break."

"So it wouldn't have anything to do with Quinn?"

Rachel turns to look at the British woman. "Why would it have anything to do with Quinn?"

"I don't know why both you and Quinn seem to think I'm stupid. Those little looks you always send each other when you think nobody is looking, I see them. I think everybody does. You're both fighting with yourselves rather than just admitting what it is you really want and actually being brave enough to go and get it."

"I am not going to sit here and talk about Quinn with you."

"Would you prefer to sit somewhere else and talk about Quinn?"

Rachel rolls her eyes at the remark. "Sorry, let me be clearer, I am not going to talk about Quinn with you at all."

Karen chuckles. "Can I talk about her to you?"

"Look," Rachel begins placing her hand against her forehead. "What's happening between Quinn and I is none of your business and quite frankly, you don't know the first thing about us."

"I know a lot more than you think; Quinn can be quite talkative once she finally cracks."

Rachel furrows her brows. "Quinn's talked you about us?"

"Yeah."

"What has she told you?"

Karen smirks. "I thought you weren't going to talk about Quinn with me."

"You're insufferable."

"Thank you."

"That's not a compliment," Rachel explains.

"I know," Karen replies. "But if you take insults as compliments, you don't get hurt. I always spin insults on their head and think of them as my quirks."

Rachel sips her drink before drumming her fingers against the bar. "I never asked for this to happen."

"I never said you did."

"Have you come over to judge me?" Rachel asks with genuine curiosity. Normally she would purposely avoid talking to Karen because whenever she's around the British woman, her jealousy flares up, even though Quinn has told her there's no need to be jealous. "Are you about to tell me that what I'm doing is wrong and that I shouldn't be chasing Quinn? Or how about telling me that I have a girlfriend and what I'm doing right now isn't just hurting her but also Quinn."

Karen shakes her head. "I'm pretty sure you already know those things."

"I do."

"Well then, there's no need for me to tell you is there?"

Rachel allows herself to smile because she wasn't in the mood for a lecture. "No, there isn't."

Karen thanks the bartender when he eventually brings her the drinks before paying him and telling him to keep the change. "Can I ask you a question?"

Rachel tugs her bottom lip between her teeth but finds herself nodding slowly.

"Are you in love with her?"

Rachel's silent for the longest period of time before answering. "That's incredibly personal."

"Would you rather I ask you a mundane question, for example, how are you?" Karen questions. "Personal questions always get the best answers."

Rachel shakes her head. "I don't know you enough to answer that question."

Karen bobs her head in understanding and doesn't push the question anymore; besides, the brunette's silence speaks volumes. She observes the other woman as Rachel looks over her shoulder at Quinn before bringing her attention to her glass.

"Why don't you go over and join Quinn? You know what they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas and all that."

"She seems rather busy right now."

"If you went over, you'd be the only person she'd look at. Everybody else will just disappear into insignificance. I should know, the other night when you were drunk, you were all she could think about, it's almost as if I wasn't even there."

She's tempted to put Karen's theory to the test because the sheer knowledge that she is possibly enough to draw Quinn's attention away from women who are practically drooling over her causes her stomach to flip with excitement.

"Just –" Karen starts before sipping her drink. "I don't know about you since you're not being particularly open about your feelings, at least not to me, but Quinn is all in. She'd drop everything for you and do anything for you right about now. She knows that she shouldn't be doing this with you but she can't stop herself. Obviously Quinn should be telling you this herself but you two keep lying to yourselves so I fear the day that she's honest with you isn't going to come."

"Karen –"

"Sophie's her best friend and she knows that their friendship is essentially ruined but it never stopped her," Karen concludes, drawing out her final words slowly. "You mean that much to her so if you feel the same about her, or even if you don't, you have to talk to her."

"I wanted to talk to her but she's currently intoxicated so I have a feeling we wouldn't be able to have a conversation."

"Okay, well why don't you leave the talk until tomorrow and just enjoy being in Vegas, I'm sure she'll enjoy your company more than anybody else right now."

Karen pushes one of her drinks in Rachel's direction. "What is this?"

"You look like you need some Dutch courage."

Rachel pauses before taking the offered drink and taking a sip, grimacing immediately. "Oh dear Barbra, that is foul."

"It'll do the trick though."

Rachel stands from her barstool, picking up the glass with her right hand. She heads away from the bar before pausing and turning around to face Karen. "This doesn't mean that I like you."

Karen chuckles lowly before sipping her drink. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Even though she wants to dislike Karen, she finds herself smiling warmly at the British woman before she walks towards Quinn and the group of women which seems to have increased in numbers since she last looked over. She comes to a halt beside the table and waits patiently for Quinn to look up from the table. After a couple of seconds, she grows impatient and clears her throat. The noise finally causes the blonde to raise her eyes from the coin in her hand and to Rachel, a smile growing across her face.

"Rachel," Quinn breathes out. "Do you want to play?"

"What are you playing?"

"I don't think it has a name," Quinn replies, slurring a little. "You flip the coin and somebody else guesses whether it will be heads or tails. If you're wrong, you drink. Simple as that."

Rachel brushes past one of the women standing next to Quinn and sits down besides the blonde whose smile widens at the action. "Did you know that the probability of flipping a coin and getting either heads or tails isn't really fifty-fifty? It leans more towards the side that is facing up when you flip the coin," Rachel explains, noticing the other women roll their eyes at her, clearly unsure as to why Rachel has interrupted them but Quinn is listening to her with keen fascination. "I mean the probability changes to about fifty-one to forty-nine so the odds are still pretty much the same but I think it's interesting."

Quinn glances at the coin to see the heads side facing up before flipping it, only for it to land on heads. "So you can cheat the game," Quinn says quietly. "That's no fun; I won't get to see you drunk."

Rachel swallows, suddenly oblivious to anybody else around them. "Why would you want to see me drunk?"

Quinn shuffles closer to Rachel and rests her hand on the other woman's knee. "Because you're adorable."

Rachel blushes while Quinn merely grins and kisses her cheek.

"Quinn, are we heading to another bar or what?"

Their moment is interrupted by the exasperated voice of one of the women Quinn had been entertaining. Rachel's about to answer but Quinn beats her to it.

"I'm staying here," she announces loudly. "Do you want a drink?" She directs the question at Rachel, ignoring everybody else.

"I have one," Rachel replies, holding up the drink Karen bought for her. "It's disgusting but I thought I should try and get into the Vegas spirit."

Quinn sends her a drunken smile and rests her forehead against Rachel's. "Has anybody ever told you that your eyes are stunning?"

She can't help but chuckle at the blonde, apparently liquor really loosens her lips. "No, I can't say they have."

"Well they are."

"Thank you."

Quinn drops her head to the crook of Rachel's neck and nuzzles softly against the other woman's skin. Even though Rachel knows she should create distance between them, she doesn't move. "You're drunk."

After several more seconds, Quinn pulls back and finishes her own drink in one swift movement and sends Rachel a drunken smile. "In that case, you need to catch up."

* * *

The corner of her mouth curls upwards at the sight of the two women drinking and laughing together. They really do look like a couple, they're just incredibly natural and at ease with one another.

"Rachel and Quinn seem to be getting pretty close."

"Yeah, I guess they are."

She looks up as the woman sits at the barstool Rachel vacated moments ago. "What have you done?"

Karen shrugs her shoulders. "I just gave Rachel the nudge she needed."

"Does this mean I should call you Cupid from now on?"

Karen chuckles before clinking her glass with Brittany's. "Maybe you should."

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**Guest **– Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad this story has won you over. You didn't have too long a wait for the next chapter either, lucky you haha ;)

**Guest** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much; I'm glad you think so. I apologise for taking longer than normal again with this one, I will sort myself out soon. I promise.

**Anon** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'd actually always planned on including something like that scene in my story and then Glee did it and I agree with you, it was cringe-worthy but that might be because I really do not like Finn or Finchel. Sophie's more of a fantasist I think when it comes to love whereas Quinn is a realist.

I fully believe that she's allowed to still feel somewhat bruised over the whole Alison and Quinn saga. She's been burnt once before and she doesn't want it to happen again, hence the whole warning Rachel issue. The reveal of Quinn and Rachel is only going to make her feel worse and more likely to make her doubt her worth in relationships. Yeah, poor Sophie. When she finds out about everything, I don't think she'll be too much of a fantasist when it comes to love. That's why I included the flashback because she's going to change in her beliefs so much.

In that case, you're in luck because there isn't going to be any Sophie for a couple of chapters so none of those conversations to read through haha.

I'm glad you found it interesting. No, that seems to be the general consensus, nobody agrees with Rachel's thought process and rightly so. It's incredibly flawed but she takes comfort in her logic, even if it's wrong, at the minute, she doesn't want to end a relationship because deep down, she's scared. She's scared that she doesn't know what will happen but I agree when you say she's being selfish. And what she's doing could well be something Sophie questions her about.

Kurt knew who Quinn was because Rachel mentioned her after the dance recital and had been mentioning her to him and he knew she was Sophie's best friend but he didn't know her involvement with Rachel, at least not fully. At least I hope I haven't made an error in an earlier chapter. Thank you :) Rachel will take them into account, don't worry. She's getting advice left, right and centre now.

**Amanda** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's good to know! I don't think that's terrible at all, I'm glad you can't wait for the truth to come out (I hope it's through excitement rather than boredom at the slow pace though).

**Myshipsank** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much! I'm really glad to hear that, I was hoping people would enjoy the flower analogy, I wasn't sure it would work but it seems to have gone down quite well.

Kurt's that type of person. Santana's first instinct was to yell at Quinn for what she's doing but I think Kurt is more like Brittany, they don't yell, they just try and give advice because they know what Rachel needs to hear. I don't think Kurt is the type of person to scold.

Probably a bit of both. Although Sophie isn't popping up for another couple of chapters so the talk will have to wait.

That's good to know although if you do have complaints, feel free to let me know. Wow, I really appreciate that :)

**Elmoooooooooo** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you! Not in this chapter but you're right, the heavy stuff is coming. Hopefully it will live up to your expectations :) I agree, what she's doing is wrong but I'm hoping she'll redeem herself in the upcoming chapters because she isn't going to be stringing Sophie along for much longer. Thanks once again.

**Zanny** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much :) I'm really happy to hear that.

**VGA **– Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Aww, that's good to know. I'm glad they make you smile. Your reviews make me smile :) You're welcome and Rachel won't be acting selfish for too much longer, hopefully she'll redeem herself. Ooh that would be interesting, Alison and Sophie back together ;) Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

**Anon** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Polux** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much :) Ooh that sounds perfect, I love a cup of coffee (or tea because I am the perfect British stereotype in that respect) when it's cold and rainy. Yeah, I wrote Kurt as I see some of my friends. I know I could tell them anything and they wouldn't judge me so I wanted Kurt to be that type of friend. Since you like the Quinn/Karen friendship, how did you feel about the Rachel/Karen scene in this chapter? Quinn may not be perfect but in Rachel's eyes, she is and that's all that matters at the end of the day. Until next time :)

**Lealover** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Yeah, she's not going to be stringing Sophie along for much longer. I'm shifting the timeframe a little so after Vegas, the wedding is pretty much next so the reveal is coming. No you can't, Rachel just met Quinn at the wrong time thus causing all these problems. As you'll have just read, they didn't open up because I wanted them to be drunk the first night but the talk is coming and it will prove pivotal :)

**Annie** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Oh no, I'm sorry you feel that way. They will be ending up together and even though what they're doing is horrible, they're meant to be and there's not long left of them sneaking around so hopefully you'll continue to read the story, and maybe change your mind.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: A bit of a quicker update this time. I'm working on it :) I forgot to say on the last update but I hope everybody had a lovely Easter (even if it is a week late). I know some people were looking forward to the rest of the drunken night in Vegas but I want the story to progress because university work has pushed my time frame back so this chapter skips to the next morning. There is a small flashback briefly featuring drunk Quinn though so hopefully that will be okay :) I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Words (minus responses to reviews) - 5159

* * *

**Chapter 25:**

"_So, what do you think?" She asks as she opens the small velvet box for her friend to look at. "Do you think she'll like it?"_

"_She'll love it Santana."_

_Santana sighs with relief and snaps the box closed as her friend reaches for the ring. "I am not letting that ring out of the box so hands to yourself."_

"_You know, I think you've watched a little too much Lord of the Rings."_

_Santana chuckles dryly. "I can't believe I'm actually proposing to her."_

"_I can't believe it's taken you this long to actually propose."_

_The Latina scowls at her friend. "I wanted to make sure she was the one, I didn't want to propose to her only for us to break up a couple of months down the line. I only plan to propose once so I needed to make sure she was the right person."_

_Santana scowls at her friend. "I wanted to make sure she was the one, I didn't want to propose to her and then end up breaking up. I only want to propose once so I had to make sure she was the right person."_

"_Aside from telling me that she was incredibly sexy and had legs that went on forever, I'm pretty sure the first actual thing you said to me about Brittany, once you'd stopped drooling, was that she was the one for you. Your soul mate."_

"_I know," Santana says quietly. "But I always figured she'd realise that she could do better than me and move on. I never actually expected her to stay with me."_

"_Why wouldn't she?" Her friend questions lightly. "You're amazing Santana and pretty gorgeous as well. Not that I look at you in that way anymore," she adds as an afterthought._

"_Oh please, there's no need to pretend that you don't sneak the odd peak at me every now and again, like you said, I'm gorgeous," Santana boasts lightly with a wink. "Nobody would blame you."_

"_I had no idea how incredibly modest you are."_

_The corner of Santana's mouth curls upwards. "What about you?"_

"_What about me?"_

_Santana places the velvet box back into her pocket for safe-keeping. "Do you ever think you'll get down on one knee for somebody?"_

_Her friend scoffs before shaking her head. "I don't see that happening in the foreseeable future."_

"_You know, I've always wondered who your ideal girl would be," Santana states and her friend merely cocks her head to the side, exhibiting clear distain at that statement. "Oh come on, humour me, who would it be?"_

"_I don't know," her friend says as she shrugs her shoulders. "I guess I don't really have a type, appearance wise anyway –"_

"_I never would have guessed," Santana drones sarcastically._

"_But," her friend starts once more. "She'd have to be different."_

"_Different?"_

"_Yeah," she explains. "Something about her would need to be different. She'd need to be special enough to make me pay attention to her. I guess I want somebody that I couldn't stay away from. You know better than anybody that I love the chase but I want somebody that I don't chase for the fun of it but because I can't walk away from them. I haven't met many girls like that so far in New York though; they're all pretty much the same."_

"_And if you find that person –"_

"_If I find that person," Quinn replies, still humouring Santana because she really doesn't see that happening anytime soon, somebody that special wouldn't date her. "Then you'll get your proposal." _

* * *

She massages her temples in the hope that she'll rid herself of the headache she is enduring, not that she can really complain too much. The amount she drank last night, she's amazed a headache is the only thing she is suffering from today. Her memory is mostly in tact from last night, albeit some parts are fuzzy but she does remember heading to a lap-dancing club, Santana's suggestion obviously. Both Santana and Brittany decided that they wouldn't have a stripper on their individual bachelorette nights; but they thought that rule could be changed since they were having a joint bachelorette party. As a result, Santana suggesting heading to a lap-dancing club because they could have fun but still keep an eye on each other.

Although they weren't the only one keeping an eye on each other, Quinn felt Rachel's eyes constantly on her, especially when a dancer approached her.

Quinn has to admit, she still finds Rachel's jealousy endearing.

She's not used to having somebody be jealous over her.

One more thing she can remember about last night is spending most of it with Rachel. After the brunette approached her in the hotel bar, Rachel had attempted to catch up with Quinn in terms of drinking but after only two more, she had felt sick and decided to stick to soft drinks for the remainder of the night. Quinn didn't mind though, drunk or sober, Rachel is still adorable.

Quinn rests against the headboard of her bed and turns on the television. She flips through the movies the hotel offers before settling on American Pie. She presses play of the remote before hitting pause immediately when she hears a knock on her door. Standing from the bed, she walks towards the door and opens it.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Can I come in?"

Quinn nods before stepping aside and allowing Rachel to enter her hotel room.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"No, nothing important anyway," Quinn replies slowly as she closes the door. "I was just about to watch American Pie. I'm in Vegas and all I want to do is relax with a movie.

"I'm surprised you're awake after last night, you can certainly drink."

Quinn grimaces at the memory of liquor. "Yeah, for my sins."

"What about tonight?" Rachel questions. "Am I going to be lucky enough to receive another special dance from you?"

Quinn pales at that question. "What?"

"You don't remember?" Rachel asks with a hint of surprise. "After the lap-dancing club, we came back to the hotel and returned to Brittany's room for, as you called it, more dancing fuel. It was there you decided that even though the lap-dancers were good, you were better than all of the ones we had just seen so you started dancing and I was the lucky recipient of your lap dance."

"Please tell me you're joking?"

Rachel shakes her head and sends Quinn a soft smile. "If it's any consolation, you're a pretty good dancer. I mean, I wouldn't take it up professionally if I was you but behind closed doors, I'm sure somebody will enjoy your hidden talent."

She wants to ask whether Rachel enjoyed it but she can't bring herself to say the words. Instead she closes her eyes, sufficiently mortified at Rachel's admission. She cannot believe that she gave her best friend's girlfriend a lap dance in front of her friends and two of Rachel's friend that Quinn hardly knows.

"I am so sorry."

"I enjoyed it," she admits quickly and Quinn's eyes snap open. She didn't need to ask the question anyway, Rachel's given her the answer she wanted. "Not nearly as much as Santana enjoyed the lap dance Brittany gave her though. I'm pretty sure she was drooling at one point. I don't want to be cruel but Brittany wiped the floor with you actually."

"She's a professional dancer. It's hardly a fair comparison," Quinn utters, even though she doesn't know why she feels the need to defend herself. Of course, Brittany would be better than her.

"I'd choose you over her any day though," Rachel whispers as she brushes past Quinn and heads towards the bed.

The blonde swallows hard, if it was anything but Rachel, she'd presume they were flirting with her. She's not used to Rachel being so….forward. Not that she's complaining.

It just makes it harder for her to try and act like a better person than normal because with anybody else, she'd flirt back but she doesn't want to complicate this situation any more than it has already been complicated.

Besides, she can't flirt with Rachel and make herself stop at flirting.

Rachel was right when she said that the lines between flirting and crossing the line were blurred for Quinn.

She curls some hair behind her ear before speaking. "Thank you, I guess."

"You're welcome."

She bobs her head slowly. "So, did I do anything else embarrassing last night that you want to remind me of?"

Rachel tilts her head to the side in thought, her answer would depend on Quinn's definition of embarrassing but deciding to calm the other woman's nerves, she shakes her head even though the memory of last night washes over her.

* * *

"_I think you should put your dress back on Quinn," Rachel whispers softly as she attempts to hand the blonde her dress, ensuring her eyes stay on Quinn's rather than wandering over the other woman's body._

_Although the sight of Quinn, clad only in her underwear is a very tempting sight._

"_I don't want to."_

"_You're incredibly stubborn."_

"_Why do you want me to get dressed?" Quinn slurs, trailing her finger down Rachel's cheek. "Don't you like what you see?"_

_Sighing, she allows her eyes to momentarily rake over Quinn's toned thighs to her toned stomach, subconsciously licking her lips at the sight. It's not fair that Quinn is so incredibly toned, why can't her stomach look like Quinn's? Shaking off her self-conscious thoughts, because now isn't really the time to be having them, she swallows hard._

"_I'm not blind Quinn so of course I like what I see. I defy anybody to tell you that they don't," she confesses because there's a high probability that Quinn won't remember any of this in the morning._

_Quinn beams before standing and stumbling towards the corner of the room to join Brittany, who is currently waving her own top above her head._

"_Quinn."_

"_Good luck getting her dressed Berry," Santana announces from across the room. "Quinn has a tendency to strip when she's been drinking. On her 21__st__ birthday, she bared all to me." _

_Rachel whips her head towards the other woman at that declaration. "She did what?"_

_Santana doesn't answer; instead she casts a glance in Quinn's direction to find her fiancée currently stripping beside Quinn. "Quinn's like Brittany, they're stripper drunks. Although, Quinn's also an angry drunk so I'd stop trying to make her get dressed because she'll snap at you."_

"_I wasn't aware that people could be sorted into specific categories with regards to what type of drunk they were."_

"_Of course they can," Santana states as she falls to the ground beside Rachel, throwing an arm around Rachel's shoulders. "Wheezy and Tina over there are happy drunks," she explains, pointing to the two bridesmaids who are giggling incandescently in front of Brittany and Quinn._

"_Wheezy?"_

"_We've always covered Britts and Q. Then there's me, the amazing drunk._

"_Now Santana, be truthful. I'm pretty sure you're a weepy-hysterical drunk," Karen claims as she collapses on the bed that the two women currently have their backs against. "At least, that's what I've heard."_

"_That's a lie," Santana spits before her eyes fill with tears. "Who told you that? Brittany said that didn't she?"_

_Rachel's eyes widen at Santana's drastic change in personality but Karen merely smirks. "No, you're right Santana; you're not a weepy-hysterical drunk. My mistake." She turns her attention away from the now crying girl towards Rachel. "You're a jealous drunk."_

"_I am not," Rachel hisses before tilting her head in curiosity. "What kind of drunk are you then?"_

"_I'm the friendly drunk," Karen replies with a smile. "Although, if we're being completely truthful, my libido always shoots up when I've been drinking," she adds, purposely raking her eyes over Quinn as the blonde continues to dance with Brittany._

_Rachel follows Karen's gaze and finds herself scowling. Quinn has told her there is no need to be jealous but when Karen leers at Quinn like that, Rachel can't help but think that Quinn is simply being naïve. "It's a good job we're in Vegas then, you can have your pick of any of those women in the bar downstairs."_

_Karen throws her head back in joyous laugher. "And here I thought you weren't a jealous drunk."_

"_I'm not drunk."_

"_So you're just jealous permanently then?" Rachel bites her tongue to prevent herself from saying anything else because she knows Karen will probably revel in anything she says. Karen places a sloppy kiss against her cheek before whispering into her ear. "Don't worry, Quinn's all yours."_

_Rachel's about to scold Karen but the British woman dashes towards the bathroom before she has a chance and before she knows what is happening, Quinn drops to the ground beside her while Brittany falls into Santana's lap. "Did you enjoy the show?"_

"_Was that for my benefit?"_

_Quinn shrugs her shoulders. "I like to think that everybody benefited."_

_Rachel can't help but smile at the drunken girl and she attempts to hand the blonde the dress that she's been holding since Quinn threw it at her during her lap dance. "Now you've got the dancing out of your system, can you put your dress back on now please?"_

"_Or," Quinn starts before tugging at Rachel's dress. "You could take yours off."_

_Rachel flushes and pushes Quinn's hand away reluctantly. "You're incredibly brazen when you're intoxicated, do you know that?"_

_Quinn rubs her nose against Rachel's before pecking it. "You love it."_

* * *

The sound of Quinn clearing her throat causes Rachel to shake the memories of last night off. "I've never seen American Pie?"

"You've never seen it?" Quinn states. "What is wrong with you?"

"It's not in my category of favourite movies, I prefer musicals."

"I can't say it's my favourite movie but it's the only decent one that's available to watch at the moment and it is a movie I can watch again and again," Quinn explains as she grabs the remote. "It has a tendency to be a tad crude at parts so it may not be your cup of tea."

Rachel scoffs. "I'm not a prude."

"I never said you were," Quinn defends. "I'm just saying, you refer to sex as sexual intercourse and I remember you saying that other words were too crass for your liking so, American Pie might not be to your taste. That's all."

"I never said I wanted to watch it."

Quinn chuckles. "You might like it."

Rachel shakes her head lightly because this isn't why she came to Quinn's room. "I didn't come here to watch a movie with you Quinn; I was hoping we could have that talk."

Quinn rubs the back of her neck nervously before dropping the remote onto the bed. "What do you want to talk about?"

Rachel takes a seat on the bed. "Where's Santana?"

"She and Brittany have gone sightseeing," Quinn explains. "Brittany said this morning that she wanted to do one of those bus tour things and obviously Santana can't say no to her so she's probably being dragged around Las Vegas as we speak."

"I don't think anybody can say no to Brittany."

"No, I guess not. I've never been able to say no to her; even if it's something I don't really want to do. Santana would do anything for that girl though, even if it's something as small as seeing the sights. Because that's the thing, it may be small to everybody else but to Brittany, it's anything but. If it means something to Brittany, it means something to Santana since Brittany means everything to her.

"You should put that in your speech."

"Sorry?"

"You're Santana's maid of honour right?" Rachel questions lightly. "I'm presuming you're giving a speech."

Quinn nods before resting against the dresser and looking at Rachel. She would prefer to return to her previous position on the bed but being that close to Rachel on that precise piece of furniture might just be too tempting for her to handle.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Rachel bobs her head at the question. "I'm absolutely terrified of giving it."

Rachel tilts her head to the side. "You're scared? You seem like one of the most confident people I've ever met. You can't possibly be scared."

"I'm confident with people I know or just one-on-one but I've never been one for public speaking. The thought of standing in front of a crowd and speaking is a terrifying concept. What if I mess it up and ruin the wedding?"

"You won't ruin the wedding."

"You haven't witnessed my lack of talent for public speaking."

The brunette stands from the bed and heads over to Quinn, resting against the dresser next to her. "Why don't you practice the speech on me?"

"I can't."

Rachel nudges Quinn lightly. "Go on, I promise I won't laugh," she tells her. "Unless of course, it's supposed to be funny, then I'm sure I will laugh," she adds as an afterthought.

"I can't practice it on you because I haven't started writing it yet," Quinn explains. "I don't know what to say. I'm not sure if you've realised this but I'm not exactly very good at romantic feelings and being all lovey-dovey and mushy."

"I think you're better than you know."

"I'm not," Quinn admits. "I wasn't even very good at showing my feelings towards Alison and I was in love with her."

"You don't talk about her a lot."

Quinn shrugs. "Not much to tell."

"Can I ask you something about her?"

She's silent for several seconds because she doesn't know whether she wants this to be the direction their conversation heads in but despite her worries, she finds herself agreeing. "Go on."

Rachel tilts her head to the side. "Why did you break up?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious."

Quinn runs her fingers through her hair raggedly. "I'm surprised Sophie hasn't told you, I'm sure she will if you ask."

This time it's Rachel who falls silent. "She said you told her it was mutual."

Quinn chuckles dryly. "So you and her talk about me. That's good to know."

"Not all the time."

"If Sophie's told you that it was mutual, why ask me?"

Rachel shrugs. "Because I don't think it's what really happened."

Quinn furrows her eyebrows before swallowing hard. "What else has Sophie told you about me?"

"Like I said, we don't talk about you all the time."

Quinn rubs her forehead. "Fair enough but I don't think you wanted to talk to me about Alison."

Rachel sighs because evidently, Quinn isn't going to answer her question. Although, Quinn is right, that isn't what she wanted to talk about. "Sophie and I are on a break."

"What?"

Rachel sits back down on the bed and wrings her fingers nervously. "Before she went to Italy on that school trip, she suggested we take a break. Give ourselves some time and space to think about our relationship and then we'll see what happens when she comes back," Rachel explains as her tongue darts out to lick her lips. "She's done nothing wrong, yet she's the one that is taking control. She's the one who decided we should take a break. I should have made that decision. I should have broken up with her. Not just then but weeks ago, when I first realised that my feelings for you weren't just a crush, I should have ended things with her. Now it's just one big intricate mess and I am going to hurt her."

"Why didn't you break up with her then?"

"Because I was scared," Rachel shouts before shaking her head, "I am scared. You know, when my daddy died, I didn't want to talk to anybody. I shut everybody out, Sophie, my dad, my friends. I expected her to stop trying but she never did, she just waited. She would sit with me even when I told her to go away, she would hold me while I cried even though I fought her and she waited until I was ready to talk. Not once did she push me. I don't know how I'd have coped without her and it terrifies me to know that I'm going to lose her. She's not just a girlfriend Quinn; she's one of my best friends. If we broke up, she'd hate me."

"She'll hate me too Rachel."

"I know," Rachel says before burying her head in her hands. "Sometimes I wish I'd never met you."

The words are muffled against her hands but Quinn hears them and it's surprising how much they hurt her. She subconsciously steps back as if she's been burnt and exhales sharply. "You wish you'd never met me?"

Rachel whips her head up and shakes her head. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Well how did you mean it?"

"I just meant…if we'd never met then nobody would end up being hurt," Rachel says as her defence. "You know, when I wish I'd never met you, it's for less than a second because then I'm back to being glad I met you. Yes, things would be easier and simpler if we'd never met but if we'd never met, I'd have never realised that what I had with Sophie wasn't what I thought it was."

Quinn frowns. "What do you mean?"

"I thought Sophie was my soul mate, I thought she was the one when we first started dating and then -"

"Then what?"

"Then I met you," Rachel breathes out.

The corner of her mouth curls upwards slightly before she collects herself. "What are you going to do then?"

"I need to break up with her," Rachel whispers, quiet enough that Quinn has to strain her ears to hear. "I should have done it a long time ago; I told myself that I couldn't break up with her for you unless I knew whether something would even happen between you and I but that logic is twisted. I was just prolonging the inevitable pain. I shouldn't keep her as a second-choice, I love her but not in the same way I used to and I can't keep leading her on. It's not fair."

Quinn scratches an itch above her eyebrow nervously. "You know, you don't need to tell her why you want to break up."

Rachel scoffs under her breath. "I have spent the last five and a half months lying to her; she deserves the truth. She's deserved the truth from the very beginning. I should have told her that I'd slept with somebody else even before I knew it was you. I've just been a coward."

Quinn releases a breath she didn't even realise she'd been holding before walking over towards the bed and sitting beside Rachel. "I could tell her."

"What?"

"I'm her best friend; I should tell her that I have feelings for her girlfriend."

Rachel shakes her head. "I'm her girlfriend Quinn; I'm the person that's destroyed this relationship. I pursued you; I made all the first moves, it's my fault we're in this predicament.

"If you hadn't made the first move," Quinn states, placing her hand on Rachel's knee. "I would have."

Rachel half-smiles before furrowing her brow in thought and replays Quinn's last couple of sentences over and over again in her head. "You have feelings for me," she breathes out. It's the first time Quinn has actually confessed that to her, she's not hearing it second-hand this time.

She's hearing it straight from Quinn and it sounds so much better than when she's overheard it.

"I think you know that," Quinn replies with a smile. "And you have feelings for me that stretch further than a crush."

"Yes."

Her response is instantaneous and Quinn leans back at the assertiveness in Rachel's voice. She hadn't expected Rachel to be so blunt.

"I haven't –" Rachel starts before swallowing. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since the first night we met, I haven't been able to."

"I know the feeling."

Rachel runs her fingers through her hair. "I thought I was just a one-night stand to you."

"I broke all the rules with you," Quinn tells her. "Normally, I don't bring my one-night stands back to my apartment but I brought you. Normally, I leave before they wake up, yet it was you who left. Normally, I don't want to see them again but I couldn't wait to see you again. This is back when I thought you were Elle. Then when I found out who you were, nothing changed. I still couldn't wait to see you again."

"What makes me so special?"

"I'm sorry?"

Rachel licks her lips. "I grew up in Lima, Ohio. I spent my high school years being bullied by my peers and although I've always aspired to be amazing, the truth is, even though I wish it was different, I'm nothing but ordinary. Why are you breaking all your rules for me? What is it about me that is making you want to do that?"

"You, Rachel Berry, are anything but ordinary," Quinn tells her as she cups the other woman's cheek. "Why wouldn't I want you? You're sexy, funny, sweet, great with Lily, gorgeous; I think the real question is, why would you want me?"

"Quinn –"

"I've spent years sleeping around with random women, never caring about anybody. I'm a shit friend to Sophie, probably a shit person come to that. I'm 24 years old and I don't know how to be in relationship, I mean, the only one I've ever had and it was my fault it ended because I didn't know how to act. I'm the one that's nothing special Rachel."

"I think you're special."

Quinn feels herself blush. "Thank you."

Rachel grins. She wants to ask Quinn what she meant when she said that her relationship with Alison ended because of her but Quinn's already diverted their conversation away from Alison once before, chances are, she'll do it again.

"What do we do Quinn?"

"Right now," Quinn starts as she grabs the remote from the bed. "How about I educate you in American Pie? The longer we talk, the harder it's becoming for me to resist you and that will just create more problems rather than solve them and right now, I don't want any more problems."

* * *

"So what did you think?"

Rachel furrows her brow before shrugging her shoulders. "I suppose it was okay, I doubt I will watch it again but it was enjoyable."

"I guess I'll have to watch Funny Girl at some point then since you watched this and It's a Wonderful Life."

"I guess you will."

She had been too entranced with the film to notice the distance, or rather lack of distance between them and she swallows when she realises that Rachel's arm is pressed against hers, their hands entwined. She's not really sure when it happened but at some point during their movie, their fingers had become linked.

She's not even sure who instigated it.

Holding hands seems to be their thing; Quinn can remember doing that a lot with Rachel the night before. Although, if she's being honest, the main reason she held the brunette's hand is because she needed Rachel's support due to the excess amount of liquor she had drank.

Quinn tugs her bottom lip between her teeth and at the movement, Rachel's eyes rake over her body and consequently darken. Quinn's eyes linger on the brunette's lips and subconsciously, her tongue darts out to lick her lips.

"We should head downstairs. We're meant to be meeting everybody else for dinner."

"Yeah, I think that's probably for the best," Rachel replies, subconsciously leaning forward ever so slightly, hearing Quinn's breath to hitch in the process. "Why can't I stay away from you?"

Quinn shrugs her shoulders and shuffles closer to Rachel, her lips brushing against Rachel's in the lightest of touches, not even a kiss but it sends shivers down both girls spine.

"It's my charm."

"You and your ego," Rachel replies playfully.

"You love it," she whispers against the other woman's lips as her eyes close.

Rachel smiles as Quinn tells her the same words she said the previous night, even if she can't remember. Quinn's right though, Rachel does love all these little things about Quinn.

Her ego was actually the first thing that drew her to Quinn, even though she scolded the blonde for being arrogant, Rachel found it endearing.

When she feels Quinn's breath tickle her lips, Rachel allows her eyes to close.

"I hope you're decent."

Both women move apart at the voice as Rachel jumps off the bed while Quinn remains seating.

The door to their hotel room is closed by Brittany as Santana drops countless bags onto her bed, tourist memorabilia seeping out of them. Obviously Brittany's been enjoying the shops. Rachel stands awkwardly next to the bed, arms crossed and feet scuffing against the carpeted floor.

"Did we interrupt something?" Santana asks curiously, glancing between the two of them.

"No," Quinn replies quickly. "We were just watching American Pie," she states, pointing towards the television where the credits are continuing to roll.

"Oh I love that film," Brittany announces, ignoring the obvious tension in the room.

That's the thing with Brittany, she's intuitive to a fault but she doesn't bring attention to it like Santana will do. She leaves the obvious tension alone because she already knows the cause of it.

Santana glares at Quinn for several seconds before tilting her head to the side. "Everybody else is meeting us downstairs for dinner in ten minutes."

"I know."

"I best go and get ready," Rachel announces quietly and at the sound of her voice, Quinn stands up. "I'll see you all in a short while."

She wants to tell Rachel not to go, she wants to tell Rachel that she can stay as long as she wants but she can't.

Not when Santana and Brittany are here.

"Bye."

Rachel gives her a curt nod before bypassing Santana and Brittany, sending a quiet goodbye in Brittany's direction before opening the door and stepping outside, closing the door behind her.

"Just watching a film," Santana draws out slowly.

"Yes Santana, that's all we were doing," Quinn replies, holding up three fingers. "Scout's honour.

Santana doesn't press the matter anymore and starts chatting to Brittany animatedly as her fiancée rummages through all their bags. Quinn falls back onto her bed and sighs heavily.

Part of her is grateful that Santana and Brittany interrupted her and Rachel because if they hadn't, she and Rachel would have crossed the line again.

The other part of her hates Santana and Brittany for interrupting for the same reason.

Because truthfully, she had wanted to cross the line with Rachel.

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**Anon** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I know what you mean and I have to say, I do like how you're organising your priorities :)

Well that's good to know, I always aim to make people appreciate/enjoy something they didn't expect to (like Karen :P). Yeah, I think Santana is integral to the plot unfolding and Quinn being more open, if it wasn't for Santana, Quinn could quite possible be still keeping Rachel a secret. No, I agree with you, Santana understands Quinn the most, maybe that's why they have such a good friendship. I've always thought that is how their friendship works in the show, they don't bother hiding anything. They're just straight with each other about what they want and want needs to happen.

Yeah, I thought it was about time to mix things up a bit. Now Rachel knows exactly how much Quinn is willing to do for her and Quinn flew to Ohio before she even fell for her. Thank you :) I'm glad you enjoyed that.

More sensible talks or in this case, Santana interrupts them at what could have been a pivotal moment for Quinn and Rachel. Do you still think it's beneficial? ;) Yeah although Rachel's confidant is back in New York now so perhaps she'll have to find somebody else to confide in. Maybe one of Quinn's confidants, or perhaps Brittany. I imagine their friendships to be like my friendships, my friends aren't judgmental but they'll still tell you if what you're doing is wrong which is what Santana is doing. As you said, she's giving advice and truth but without being judgmental.

Quaren! I love that. I think I might have to steal that from you if that's okay. What would Rachel/Karen ones be? Raren or Kachel? I'm sure there will be more Rachel and Karen scenes. Haha, I'm glad you love Karen. Always reiterate it me because I appreciate it every time you say it. I'm glad I'm making her funny, I'm always worried that something I find funny, other people won't and then Karen's wit won't work so it's good to know that you find her wit spectacular.

I agree, I think she's adorable too. Although I'm biased. I'm basing her drunkenness on myself because I'm shockingly honest when I'm drunk, too much sometimes. Nothing wrong with quoted Rihanna.

Thank you :) I'd say you were right. Who would you appoint as head Cupid?

**Myshipsank **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) No need to apologise, I appreciate every review. It doesn't have to be a long one. Thank you very much; I'm glad you love the chapter. I think this chapter was a bit of a turning point for the characters as well. Hope you enjoyed this update :)

**A** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Firstly, this has nothing to do with your response but your username. It could be nothing to do with Pretty Little Liars but I'm just curious to know if your name is related to that. If it is, it's a cool username :) (I bet I'm probably completely wrong). Okay, now to your response. I'm glad you liked the airplane part. I want people to feel bad for Sophie so I'm glad you do. That's a good question. Yes, they are Sophie's friends (well at least Santana and to an extent, Brittany) and their friendship to Sophie will be questioned when everything comes out. In fairness to Santana, she is trying to make Quinn tell Sophie rather than have an affair. Brittany is friendly with both Quinn and Sophie about the same I'd say and Karen is solely Quinn's friend.

Well I'm glad this story prompted your first review. I for one would like another review, just to see if I was right about your username :P

**Faberry** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Wow, you read all 24 chapters in a day. I am impressed and offer you kudos. Haha, you're not the first person to suggest a drunken marriage in Vegas but unfortunately, that isn't going to happen. Ross and Rachel's drunken mistake was brilliant though, did not see that coming. Yeah, Quinn's opinion on love is changing and after the reveal, perhaps Sophie's opinion on love will change. Maybe she will, you never know when you'll find love after all. I'm glad you like Karen, I'm incredibly happy with how well she's gone down. Ooh that's interesting, I think that might be too much drama but I'm such a fan of drama so you never know. Maybe he will make an appearance. Hopefully you enjoyed this update :)

**Jade **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I do like to throw a little bit of progress in there every now and again. How did you find the talk? That's not the last time they'll have a serious talk though, so don't worry if questions weren't answered. That's good to know and I'm glad you liked that line, thank you :) Wouldn't you just love somebody who tried to change for the better just for you? I would. Well in that case, I hope I made your day with this update :)

**K** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Like with every review, I appreciate your opinion. I agree with you, cheating is disgusting. There is no excuse for it so on that level, what Quinn and Rachel are doing is wrong. With regards to Sophie not forgiving any of those four, she'll forgive some (she'll never be as friendly as she is now) but she won't hate them all for the rest of her life. I'm glad that you care, stories should bring out different emotions. If you're not finding what they're doing cute anymore, then I will warn you, you might not like upcoming chapters. I won't tell you that you shouldn't be reading this. I know some authors might say that if you don't like a story, don't read it but it's your prerogative. I wouldn't mind if you continue reading and continue to tell me if you don't like what is happening. Maybe I'll be able to change your mind :)

I'm sure that can be arranged ;) They do care; Santana is trying to make Quinn tell Sophie the truth rather than have an affair.

**Jock** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad you enjoyed that. Gathering from your other reviews, I didn't think you'd be against Quinn having fun with another girl but that's never really been in my plan. Unfortunately, I can tell you that that isn't all they're going to do. I hope that won't stop you from reading.

**Buggaboo** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I can't tell you that I'm afraid. I've always planned the reveal to be at the wedding but will it make you feel better if I say that Brittany and Santana will be married before anything happens? Plus, I think Santana might have the same reaction you had but Brittany might have a different opinion.

**Guest** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Yay :) I'm happy to hear that.

**Polux **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) You have a week holiday for holy week? That's impressive, we get a holiday for Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday off. I know what you mean though; I'm lazy and bored on holidays too. I'm pleased I made your night.

I'm glad you enjoyed that conversation. I thought it was about time to have a Karen and Rachel conversation, since Karen has only really interacted with Quinn. Her attitude is changing, I'm pretty sure I told somebody that her reaction would change as time passed and that is now being shown. Thank you very much :) I'm glad you liked the chapter as a whole.

How did you find this chapter? Karen does seem to think that, unfortunately, this might be one time when Karen is wrong. Until next time :D

**VGA** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) You're welcome. That's good; hopefully you'll continue to love the Vegas chapters. Wow, thank you :) I'm glad you've taken so well to Karen, that was always my hope. Thank you :) I really appreciate that. Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

**Lealover** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Now Rachel knows just how much Quinn will do for her, and Quinn did that before she fell for her as well. I'm glad drunk Quinn went down as well as it did last time. That's good to know :) If by the end of this story, everybody doesn't like Karen, I'm going to be disappointed haha. She sort of took care of Quinn and then did have a substantial part of their talk. How did you find it? Thank you :)


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: The middle of this chapter is a bit different and it might not properly fit in but I've been meaning to do this point of view for a while so I just thought I'd slip it in this chapter. Let me know what you think! The ending jumps in time from the rest of the chapter and I think it may divide opinions. Some people may like the direction I've taken the story in whereas others may argue that I shouldn't have done it. I'm interested in all opinions but I will say that this has been the plan since day one so even if you don't like it; I do hope you stick with the story :) Also, I'm interested to know who you all think the final perspective belongs to :) I wanted to get this chapter up tonight so there may be more mistakes than usual which I apologise for but I will re-read it tomorrow and correct any major mistakes. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Words (minus responses to reviews) - 4823

* * *

**Chapter 26:**

She runs her hands down the dress, smoothing out any creases; apparently she hadn't packed the dress as well as she could have. As she observes her reflection in the mirror, she immediately feels self-conscious. Kurt had persuaded her to bring that little black dress that she constantly refuses to wear because he believed Vegas was the perfect location to show it off. After a significant amount of pressure from him, she had reluctantly packed it. When she put it on, it was only so she could humour him by telling him that she had worn it at least once, even if it was only for a few seconds.

So she could tell Kurt that it didn't fit her anymore.

But it did.

It fit her perfectly but it still isn't something she is used to wearing. Normally most of her body is covered but right now, the majority of her body is on show.

Her attention is brought away from her reflection at the sound of somebody knocking on her door.

"Just a second," she shouts grabbing a second dress from the bed. Who is she kidding; she's not the girl who wears these types of dresses.

When she was dating Finn, she had attempted to surprise him with a sexy outfit. Glee club was doing Britney Spears and she had foolishly decided to put together an outfit that resembled Britney's school girl outfit from her 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' video. The outfit was something that she didn't feel comfortable wearing but she thought Finn would appreciate it because he always said that Britney was sexy in that video.

Except he didn't like her in the outfit, he told her that it wasn't her. She was more argyle sweaters and knee-high socks; she didn't need to change her sense of fashion for him. He liked her much better in the clothes she normally wore than what she had worn that day.

On the one hand she appreciated him saying he preferred her in her normal attire but the fact that he didn't compliment her once when she wore the school-girl outfit hurt. She had worn it especially for him yet she couldn't change back into her normal clothes quick enough for him.

She turns around suddenly at the sound of a wolf-whistle and pulls the dress in her hands up in a feeble attempt to shield herself.

"I said just a minute; did you decide to translate that into 'come in'? If you did, I apologise, I must be clearer in future."

Karen shrugs her shoulders and closes the door behind her. "I didn't particularly want to loiter in the corridor like a weird person."

"Well I'd appreciate some privacy."

"Are you getting changed?"

Rachel sighs and lowers the dress. "I was about to yes."

"Why would you change out of that dress?" Karen questions as she throws herself onto Rachel's bed. "You look amazing. Normally I like to charge for my advice but I'm in a good mood, probably because the minibar in mine and Brittany's room is no longer well stocked so I'll give you some advice for free, don't change outfits."

"This isn't really me"

"Says who?" Karen asks.

"Me."

Karen sits up in the bed. "Well maybe you should stop listening to yourself because it really suits you. It doesn't matter if it's you because you're not signing a contract. You're wearing a sexy dress for one night; you're free to go back to your usual clothes tomorrow night."

"I'm free to go back to them now."

"All the attention will be on you tonight if you wear that," Karen states before standing and heading towards the door. "I just came because Santana told me to get you to hurry up."

"I'll be down in a second."

Karen nods before opening the door but pausing mid-way. "You know, if you wear that dress, you'll be the centre of attention."

"I don't want to be the centre of attention."

"Not even Quinn's attention?" She questions quietly before closing the door behind her.

Rachel furrows her brows at Karen's final statement before turning around to look at the mirror one last time. Karen certainly has a keen fashion sense; you only need to look at her to see that. Even if the outfits she wears aren't necessarily what Rachel would wear, she has to admit that Karen can put an outfit together.

If Karen says she looks amazing, maybe she should trust her. After all, Rachel has always found that the harshest critic of you will be yourself.

Besides, the idea that she will have Quinn's attention is definitely one reason to wear the dress.

Sighing heavily, she grabs her bag and heads towards the door. As she opens it, she takes one last look at the dress on her bed before shaking her head and closing the door behind her.

It's only one night.

She can be sexy for one night.

"Wow."

Rachel spins around at the voice to see Quinn standing outside her own hotel room. Quinn beams at her before closing her door behind her.

"I suddenly feel incredibly under-dressed."

"Have I gone overboard?" Rachel questions. She's suddenly worried that everybody will be wearing similar attire to Quinn, skinny jeans and a top which would look casual on anybody else yet Quinn makes it looks effortless.

"I wouldn't say that."

"I don't want to be over-dressed, I mean, it's only dinner and a few drinks."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Quinn says as she moves closer to Rachel. She comes to a halt in front of the brunette and allows her eyes to rake up and down the brunette's body. "You know, black is definitely your colour."

Rachel flushes but chuckles quietly. "It's funny but I seem to recall you saying that red was definitely my colour when I was trying on my bridesmaid dress."

"So I did. Clearly every colour suits you."

"I'd hardly say that is true, you've not seen me in yellow."

Quinn laughs softly. "I'm sure you'd look amazing."

"Have you always been this much of a charmer?"

Quinn shrugs her shoulders with a small smile. "I can stop if you like." Rachel shakes her head meekly because if somebody is offering you compliments, you'd be insane to stop it. Flattery does feel good after all. "You look incredible."

Rachel flushes once more as she notices Quinn swallow before hazel eyes darken. Karen was right, wearing this dress has definitely earned her Quinn's attention.

"I feel very on show."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"It's certainly a new thing, I'm normally a lot more covered up than this," Rachel tells her gesturing to her entire body with a quick wave of her hand.

"I'm probably biased but I think you should never be more covered up," Quinn whispers before licking her lips and ducking her head. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. "You look unbelievably –" She cuts herself off before the word sexy falls from her lips because she doesn't know if that's appropriate. Although she has just told her best friend's girlfriend that she should wear less clothing so maybe they've passed the appropriate stage. "No words will do you justice."

"Thank you," Rachel replies warmly before gesturing lightly with her head towards the elevator. "Should we go downstairs?"

Quinn nods silently and follows the brunette to the elevator before pressing the button. They stand in silence for a couple of seconds before Quinn glances briefly at Rachel. "You know, if you start to feel too uncomfortable tonight, you can have my jacket."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, I'm just worried because it's such a drastic change to my normal clothing."

"Well I think you definitely pull it off," Quinn states as the elevator doors ding and open before them. "But I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Rachel's heart flutters because whereas Finn practically forced her to change back into her old clothes because he was uncomfortable, Quinn is complimenting her but still ensuring that Rachel feels comfortable.

"I don't," Rachel whispers quietly as she follows the blonde into the elevator. "Not anymore."

* * *

One thing she has always prided herself on is her ability to see what others can't. Whereas most people accept what they can see, she's always been able to see past that and dig a little deeper. As a result, she's found that what most people say and what they really mean are two completely different things. Ever since she was little, she has been able to read people's expressions and understand what is really going on even when they don't admit it.

In high school, after Rachel received a slushie facial or insults flew in her direction, Brittany would always ask her if she was okay. Rachel's response would always be the same, she was fine and the bullying didn't bother her. Most people would have probably accepted her response and not Brittany because she knew that the bullying did bother Rachel.

More than she would ever admit.

Brittany used to hear her crying sometimes during lunch. She would escape to the auditorium or the toilets and on her own; she would allow herself to cry. She was never really alone though, Brittany followed her on most occasions because even if Rachel couldn't see her, Brittany didn't want her friend to be alone when she was sad. She's never told Rachel that she knew about the brunette's tears because if Rachel wanted people to know, she wouldn't have tried to hide her tears.

She wouldn't have claimed the bullying didn't bother her.

Her ability to see past what people want you to see is also how she knew that Santana was planning to propose her even though the other woman constantly said that she didn't want to get married. She never pushed her fiancée though because she knew that Santana was waiting for the perfect opportunity to propose and was merely trying to ensure that when she did find that time, Brittany would be surprised.

Needless to say, when Santana did get down on one knee, Brittany acted as if she hadn't expected a proposal.

She likes to call her ability her superpower and her superpower is how she knew that Rachel had feelings for Quinn, even though she's dating Sophie, and Quinn had feelings for Rachel. Truthfully, she's known since her and Santana's Halloween party that there was something between Rachel and Quinn. Some form of history that nobody else knew about and that they didn't want anybody else to know about.

A secret that only the two were privy to.

Unfortunately for them, if there is one thing Brittany has always loved, it's secrets.

During the party, she had watched quietly as Quinn and Rachel engaged in conversation, a conversation that mimicked that of people who had met before. Even though Sophie introduced Rachel to Quinn later that night, the two women didn't exchange the typical pleasantries you would expect from two people who had only just met.

When Sophie hosted her dinner party, Brittany observed how Quinn acted as if she was walking on eggshells all night long. She took her time before answering questions, almost as if she wanted to make sure she didn't say something wrong. Brittany also noticed how Quinn had chosen to use a coaster only after Rachel had asked Santana to use one, something that didn't strike anybody else as unusual but to Brittany, it was anything but normal.

She's seen Quinn's apartment, the blonde isn't exactly what one would call house proud. There are plenty of water rings on her coffee table; in fact, the only thing she keeps in a strict order is her collection of first edition books.

During the dinner party, she suggested that Quinn go on a date with Karen. As she made the suggestion, everybody's attention fell to Quinn as they awaited her answer but Brittany had looked at Rachel. Rachel's head had been ducked and she pushed her food aimlessly around her plate, her eyes closing as the name Karen left Brittany's lips.

Almost as if it hurt her to even hear the name.

When Sophie had broached the subject of 'Elle', Brittany's curiosity had immediately peaked. Once Quinn declared that her one-night stand had been mind-blowingly amazing in bed and Rachel's head snapped up, Brittany understood the history that Quinn and Rachel shared.

The history that they didn't want anybody to know about.

It was at that moment that she realised Rachel was Elle.

Elle had been Rachel's alias since she was sixteen years old. A couple of weeks before their first Regionals competition, she, Rachel and Mercedes sneaked into the auditorium at Carmel High to watch their rival Glee club, Vocal Adrenaline, perform. Rachel had insisted that in order to progress in National Show Choir competitions, you needed to understand your competition. After Vocal Adrenaline's coach had caught them, Rachel had declared that her name was "Elle Bryce" and she was interested in joining Vocal Adrenaline.

When they graduated high school, David Karofsky, one of the high school football players started organising fake IDs for every student, regardless of who they were. As long as he made some money from his little project, he didn't care who bought them. Rachel had asked for one, under pressure from the rest of the Glee club, using her own name but Karofsky suggested that she used an alias. Unsurprisingly, Elle Bryce became the name of Rachel's fake ID.

Brittany decided to choose the name Summer Fields, a name that made a few people either frown or laugh, even though she never knew why.

The name alone wasn't enough for Brittany to connect the dots but when Rachel's interest had suddenly peaked at Quinn's praise for her one-night stand's sexual ability, Brittany figured it out.

Quinn and Rachel had slept together.

She kept the nugget of information to herself and didn't even disclose it to Santana because she knew that when the time was right, either Quinn or Rachel would admit to what they'd done.

Brittany is proud of her patience.

Before Christmas, Santana started to question their closeness. Quinn and Rachel weren't friends yet they appeared incredibly close.

Too close in fact.

Especially for people who claimed not to know each other.

When Santana claimed that she thought Quinn had a crush on Rachel, Brittany had said that Quinn did have a crush because she didn't want to lie to Santana. She still feels bad that she has neglected to confess the whole truth to her fiancée but it wasn't her secret to tell.

Not long after that conversation, Quinn confessed everything to Santana.

After Quinn confessed, Santana divulged the information to Brittany and Brittany felt relieved that they were now both privy to Quinn and Rachel's secret.

They both knew that Quinn's feelings for Rachel extended further than friendship and Brittany knows the same can be said for Rachel's feelings for Quinn.

She's 25 now but she still has the ability to read people as well as she did when she was young.

She glances across the dining table at Rachel who is having a heated discussion with Mercedes, probably revolving around music, that's what their conversations usually revolve around. She can't help but feel disappointed that Rachel hasn't confided in her about everything that is happening with Quinn.

It doesn't matter how long she's know, she still wants Rachel to trust her enough to tell her.

Just like with Santana's proposal, Brittany will act surprised, as if she didn't know anything in the first place.

Quinn confided in Santana, why couldn't Rachel do that with her?

She would never judge Rachel; she's never judged anybody in her life before. She doesn't see the point. Judging somebody for their actions isn't going to change who they are as a person.

"Are you okay?"

Brittany turns at the voice and sends her fiancée a reassuring smile. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

She sighs lightly at Santana because the other woman always knows when she's thinking about something. "It's just something stupid, don't worry about it."

"Britt."

"I just wish that Rachel would confide in me about her situation like Quinn has with you. I don't like pretending that I don't know what's happening between them."

"You can't rush her babe," Santana whispers lowly. "I'm sure she'll tell you when's ready. You could always try and get her to open up. I mean, Quinn only told me because I forced her hand."

"I'm not like you though, I don't like confrontation."

"I know. It's one of the many reasons why I love you."

"I'll just wait until she's ready," Brittany assures Santana and herself. "If she wants to tell me, she will."

"Okay." Santana places her hand on the blonde's knee and gives it a comforting squeeze. "By the way, nothing you ever think is stupid, you're a genius Brittany."

Brittany beams at the compliment and kisses her fiancée's cheek. "You know how much I love you right."

"Just a little bit less than how much I love you," Santana replies playfully.

* * *

She watches with intense curiosity as Santana and Quinn have what appears to be a very in-depth conversation with each other. Her brow furrows as Santana places her hand on Quinn's shoulder and the gesture seems to cause the blonde to sigh a desperate sigh of relief. She can't help but wonder what they're talking about. Since Quinn told her that Santana knew about them, she's always wondering what Santana is saying to people. What she's saying to Brittany, what she's saying to Quinn and worse, what she's saying to Sophie.

She's about to stand and pretend to head towards the bathroom so she can eavesdrop on their conversation but as she pushes her chair back, the women separate and Quinn heads towards the bar where Karen is sitting whilst Santana heads in her direction.

Rachel clears her throat nervously before taking a sip of her drink as Santana approaches her. She's thankful that Mercedes is sat beside her because Santana can't sit down. When Mercedes announces she's going to the bathroom, Rachel feels like cursing because clearly she isn't having much luck today. As soon as Mercedes stands, Santana swoops in and sits in the now vacant seat next to Rachel.

"Nice dress by the way, I didn't realise you had such a good body."

"Thank you," Rachel utters slowly, unsettled by Santana's compliment.

"So hobbit, what's the deal with you and Sophie?"

"I'm sorry?" Rachel questions nervously because even though Brittany assures her that Santana is a pussy cat deep down, she still finds the Latina very intimidating.

"I know you and I don't really speak, quite frankly the few times we have spent together, you've talked enough to last a lifetime and I've actually craved white noise because I think it would be more pleasurable than the sound of your voice –"

"Have you just sat down to insult me?"

"You didn't let me finish Yentl –"

"Santana!" Rachel protests quickly. "If you insult me one more time I'm walking away."

Santana holds her hands up in surrender. "I'm not going to. Brittany's told me that I can only use nicknames twice in one sitting otherwise it may go from being playful to genuine insults."

"You were being playful?"

"What I wanted to say was, Sophie's one of my best friends. I mean, Quinn pips her to the post slightly but that's just because we're both flawless and probably because we dated."

Rachel's eyes widen at that last admission and she feels her mouth open in shock. Why hadn't Quinn told her that? "You dated Quinn?"

"I just," Santana starts, choosing to ignore Rachel's incredulous question. "I'm not an emotional person and I certainly don't do heart to hears. Brittany's the only exception to that, but…I don't want anybody to get hurt. I know that's not realistic because somebody is going to end up hurt but I care about them more than I can say." She narrows her eyes at the brunette. "If you tell either of them that I just said that, I have no moral problem with homicide."

Rachel swallows nervously at that because she doesn't think for one second that Santana is joking.

"I need to know what the deal is with you and Sophie."

She blinks quickly and glances over Santana's shoulder to see Mercedes heading back to her seat. At the sight of the Latina in her chair, she diverts towards Tina and Brittany, kneeling beside the women and joining in their conversation.

Clearly Rachel isn't the only woman that is slightly scared of Santana.

"What were you and Quinn talking about?"

"Answer my question first."

Rachel exhales heavily before bobbing her head slowly. "Sophie and I have been over since the minute I met Quinn," Rachel explains quietly. "I didn't want to accept that because the knowledge that a yearlong relationship effectively ended because of something that should have been a mistake is terrifying but the truth is, the minute I willingly decided to sleep with Quinn, there was no redemption for me and Sophie Even though I wished there was." Rachel curls some hair behind her ear before glancing quickly at Santana. "I wanted things to go back to normal with Sophie but how can things go back to normal when you've experience something so out of the ordinary that you're constantly craving it? I never thought I could see myself being with somebody like Quinn but now I know her –"

"You can't imagine being with anybody else."

Rachel turns to face the dark-haired woman. "Yeah, how do you know?"

"Because that's how I felt with Brittany. I was used to vapid, narcissistic women who never interested me and that was the way I liked it. Things were uncomplicated that way and feelings were never an issue. Then I met Brittany. I cared about her more than myself and that was the one thing I never wanted to happen because when that happens, when you put your heart on the line, you lose control. That used to scare me, it still does but the truth is, I can't imagine being with anybody but her."

"I thought you didn't do heart to hearts."

"I don't." Santana scowls quickly. "Do you plan on enlightening Sophie anytime soon about how you feel?"

Rachel nods her head. "When she comes back from Italy, I'm going to tell her. I've spent months lying to her but I'm finally going to do the thing I should have done from the minute I met Quinn. Tell her the truth."

"And then what?"

"What do you mean?"

Santana sips her drink slowly before casting her gaze in Quinn's direction. "You break up with Sophie and then what? Don't get me wrong, I think you're making the right decision, I told Quinn to tell Sophie the truth weeks ago but what happens next. Do you just expect to jump into a relationship with Quinn? That's not going to happen. That will hurt Sophie even more. Have you even thought about what will happen when Sophie finds out?"

Rachel bites down on her bottom lip because truthfully, no, she hasn't thought about that. She had only just decided to do the right thing by Sophie but Santana's right, what is going to happen after she breaks up with Sophie? Things are undoubtedly going to change. Her relationship will be over and friendships will also crumble. Yes, there'll be no more secrets but in order for that to happen, somebody will become heart broken.

"I hadn't actually thought that far ahead."

"Maybe you should."

"I never asked for any of this Santana."

Santana gives her a half-smile. "Nobody ever asks to fall in love, it just happens."

"What would you do in my situation?"

"You know, Quinn asked me the same question."

"What did you say?"

Santana licks her lips subconsciously and looks at Brittany briefly before bringing her attention back to Rachel. "If I fell in love with somebody, I would find it impossible to stay away. If I was in your situation, I'd probably do the wrong thing."

"How can you tell what is wrong though? When I'm with Sophie, I feel like that is wrong. It doesn't feel wrong with Quinn even though it should."

"I guess you have to decide what the difference between right and wrong in your situation is because nobody else can tell you that."

"What if I think it's right when really, it's wrong?"

"What is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after." Rachel frowns lightly. "It's Ernest Hemingway." Her frown is replaced by a look of surprise and Santana scowls. "No need to look so surprised, I'm an untapped resource of wisdom."

Rachel chuckles warmly as Santana looks in Brittany's direction once more when the blonde beckons her over and she nods before standing from her chair.

"Wait, what were you talking to Quinn about?" Rachel asks quickly as Santana walks away from the table.

Santana halts before turning around and tilting her head to the side. "You."

* * *

She paces up and down the corridor, her eyes constantly darting towards 347 before she looks away, almost as if somebody will catch her staring. Somebody will know what she is doing. She looks over her shoulder at room 344, the room she should be in right now. She shouldn't be wandering the corridor at nearly two in the morning.

She should be in bed, enjoying a blissful sleep.

Yet every time she closed her eyes, she saw her and no matter how hard she tried, the image wouldn't go away.

The woman is always on her mind, just like she has been for the past five and a half months.

The sound of two men talking causes her to dart back towards her own door but the men disappear into the first room after the stairs. She rests her forehead against the door before sighing heavily. What is she doing? She shouldn't have spoken to Santana tonight because now she's about to do something that she didn't expect to happen any time soon, especially not under these circumstances. Even though her head tells her to open the door to her room, her feet move of their own accord towards room 347.

Once there, her fingers raps against the door lightly. Quiet enough for only the person inside to hear.

Waiting for the door to open is torture and she can feel the nerves, the guilt and anticipation building in her stomach. The longer she stands behind this closed door, the more those feelings increase.

There's no sound of movement in the room and she wonders whether her knock was too quiet to rouse the woman from her slumber. Her knuckles hover over the door once more but then she hears it.

The unmistakable sound of somebody mumbling combined with the shuffling of footsteps, heading in the direction of the door. She swallows nervously at the sound and realises that this is it. This is her last chance to run away and go back to her room. She can pretend this never happened and nobody would be any the wiser to her late night dilemma

Before she can ever move, the door opens and her words catch in her throat as she observes the other woman in her pyjamas. She licks her lips at the way her top rides up ever so slightly showing off her stomach and how the other woman is wearing shorts which are incredibly loosely defined as shorts. They barely cover her and as a result, her legs are proudly on show.

The sight of the woman causes her to swallow once more.

"What are you doing here?"

Her head is telling her to make up an excuse, apologise for waking her up and explain that she just couldn't sleep but her heart is telling her to do what she came here to do.

As is always the case, she chooses to listen to her heart.

She takes a tiny step forward but it's enough to close the distance between them and cups the other woman's cheek. Sensing no hesitation from the other woman, she takes a deep breath before kissing her.

The other woman doesn't push her away and she takes that as encouragement. Ever so gently, she pushes the other woman back into the room, kicking the door shut with her foot when they are both in the safety of the hotel room.

As soon as she hears the door shut completely, she knows that is it.

They may have tried to pretend everything else that has happened between them never happened but not this.

There's no pretending any more.

There's no going back from this.

And right now, she doesn't want to.

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**Anon **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :)

Every now and then? Does that mean you don't want them to feature a lot because I love flashbacks so they'll probably feature quite a bit in upcoming chapters. I'll try not to overdo it with them though. There's a Quinntana scene in the next chapter I think :) Yeah that conversation occurred a couple of weeks prior to Santana proposing to Brittany so that hypothetical girl that Quinn was talking about is actually turning into Rachel. Let's see if she realises that. No I think you're right with that assumption, she's used to getting what she wants so when Rachel dismissed her, it made her try harder. Perhaps it was a sign but that proposal (if it happens) is a something for the future.

I don't think Rachel would mind witnessing another one of Quinn's lap dances so yes, she was sufficiently entertained and impressed. Who knows what will happen behind closed doors with them in the future, when they're actually a couple.

I'm sorry to disappoint but I don't think it's happening, at least not in Vegas. I will see what I can do though about them both being drunk at the same time. Clearly the thing that happened at the end of this chapter, I didn't want alcohol to be a factor. I do feel the pressure haha :)

I'm glad that made you laugh :D Yeah, Santana might as well not bother denying it, it's obvious. I know the episode you are talking about haha, I did laugh when I first saw that. Well I'm right there with you in disliking Finn. That's why he's not a feature in this storyline except for the odd mention now and again but even the mention in this chapter is not in his favour haha. You can always say it again, short but hopefully sweet appearance from her in this chapter too. Yay haha, I'll give you credit! Yeah, I think we'll have to stick with Kachel, maybe the fact that their names don't sound well in a portmanteau is a reason they shouldn't be friends ;) They will be though, even if Rachel doesn't expect it to happen.

I agree, I think Quinn is incredibly affectionate, I can't write her any other way. Lucky Quinn, drunk and sober she can still be incredibly charming and get anybody she wants. I like the differences you describe though :)

Well you're in luck and you may just see that mentioned in the speech, maybe Rachel should help Quinn write it. I think people might have starting disliking me if I put off their talk any longer, I kept saying it was coming but it never did so I thought it was about time to fulfil my promise of their talk. Yeah, it was about time, now they both know where they stand with the other and things have become so much more real between them now. Does she get extra bonus points again for providing her with reassurance in this chapter over her outfit?

Haha, I thought you might take that beneficial claim back :P Yeah there are plenty more opportunities and I can tell you that this time, they won't be interrupted :) Oh that's good, I want people to be selfish haha because they are going to do more than kiss even though it's wrong and I don't want everybody to hate the decision I made to make that happen. So I'm glad you're up for them doing something wrong based on a technicality :)

That's quite alright, I enjoyed reading it :)

**Becky **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much, I really appreciate that :)

**VGA ** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's good to hear, I hope you're still enjoying the Vegas antics. Well that's good because there will a lot more Quinn and Rachel interactions to come in this story. Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait :)

**Guest **– Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) I fully intend to correct the mistakes when the story is finished. I would do it now but I'm too busy. I am aware that I make mistakes, that's why I state in my first authors note that there will be mistakes but hopefully, they will all be fixed in due course. I understand why some people enjoy having a beta but personally, I don't really want one because I'm pernickety like that. So I will fix the mistakes by myself. If they persist to be a problem, I will look in to it but hopefully, my promise that I will correct them will be good enough :)

**Lealover** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's good to hear! She's going to break up with Sophie when she gets a chance but whether that will happen before the wedding, I can't tell you that ;) Haha, I've never received a lap-dance so I didn't want to write it in case I didn't do it justice. Ah, you're British, whereabouts are you from?

**Guest** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you, I appreciate that!

**A** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Your logic makes sense but whenever I see A now, I think of Pretty Little Liars, it's affected it my daily life haha. Since you love when Quinn opens up to Rachel, I'm sure I can include more conversations which feature that. I feel for Santana because she really is stuck in the middle. She wants to do the right thing but at the same time, she can't be too mad at Quinn. Sophie finding out about everything is coming slowly but surely and hopefully, it will be incredibly angsty. I think it will undoubtedly change their relationship but it will be for the better, don't worry. That being said, it will cause some problems obviously but Faberry is endgame.

You're welcome, there's no need to thank me, I'm happy to do it :) Well thank you very much, I appreciate that.

**Mars** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much :D You're very welcome, I love to write so I will always find time to write, and as a result, this story will always be updated, even if the wait is sometimes longer than I wanted. Well when you finally get round to re-reading this story, I hope you enjoy it just as much as you are currently enjoying it.

**Polux **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Where are you from? (If you don't mind me asking) Quite right, you should enjoy the holiday. That's one thing I'm looking forward to enjoying when university end, having all those bank holidays off from work that you would normally have off anyway in education because more often than not, they coincide with major holidays. But I digress.

I will always try and keep the updates as constant as I can :) Yeah, I agree. She needs to break up with Sophie but whether she'll have the chance to do that before the wedding is another question. I'm glad you think Quinn is perfect. Thank you very much :) I'm doing okay with my work load, thanks for the well wishes :) Until next time.

**Freakanatomy** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Well I'm pleased I could do that!


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: First things first, some of you were wondering whether this chapter would skip forward but it's not going to and there is some smut in this chapter. I've not very good at writing smut and this can't really be called that, I think it's quite tame but hopefully sweet. Now, I've counted the guesses from everybody who either guessed in a review or a personal message and I may be wrong but Quinn has received 10 votes and Rachel received 8 votes so quite close which is what I wanted. I can exclusively tell you that, some of you are right :) I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Words (minus responses to reviews) - 5995

* * *

**Chapter 27:**

"_You are aware you're about as subtle as a brick."_

_Quinn frowns before bringing her attention away from Rachel to Santana. "What are you talking about?"_

"_Since you clearly insist on leering at Rachel, you could at least try and make it a little less obvious. You might as well hang a sign over your head that says 'I like Rachel'. I'm genuinely surprised Sophie hasn't caught you staring at her."_

"_I wasn't staring at her."_

_Santana taps the side of Quinn's mouth. "Really? Well that's funny because your drool is telling me a different story."_

_Quinn pushes Santana's hand off her. "I was not drooling."_

_The Latina merely smirks, clearly proud of the reaction she managed to bestow from her friend. "For once, I don't actually blame you," she says, crossing her arms over her chest. "She looks fucking hot in that dress."_

_She manages to refrain from glaring at Santana because she doesn't want to give her friend the satisfaction. "Yeah," she breathes out, bringing her attention back to Rachel. "She really does."_

"_Okay, enough schmoozing. I gots to ask Q, what exactly are you hoping for with her?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Do you want a relationship with her or is she just some…conquest?"_

"_She is not a conquest," Quinn spits harshly before pinching the bridge of her nose to calm herself because she knows Santana isn't purposely trying to anger her. "I want to be with her, I want a relationship with her. I want what you and Brittany have. I never thought I'd be saying those words but it's true."_

"_What about Sophie? She isn't just collateral damage –"_

"_I never said she was," Quinn states sternly._

_Santana holds her hands up signalling surrender. "I didn't say you did. I just meant that she isn't some nameless girl; she's your best friend. You want to be with Rachel but where does Sophie fit into this?"_

"_Rachel said she was going to break up with her."_

"_Okay, well that's a start, I mean, it's something that should have happened a while ago but at least it's happening now," Santana tells her. "Then what? After Rachel breaks up with her and tells her about you two," she pauses momentarily. "She is going to tell her about you two right? I sincerely hope she's not going to fall back on the whole 'it's not you, it's me' rubbish."_

_Quinn shakes her head. "She's going to be honest."_

"_Good. So what happens after? Do you expect everything to work out perfectly, you get Rachel and by some miracle, Sophie is still your best friend? I'm telling this because I care for you, that's not going to happen."_

"_You think I don't know that?" Quinn says quickly. "I know I can't have both of them but I don't know what I expect to happen. You may not believe me but I don't like thinking about my best friend being heartbroken. None of this was planned, I didn't plan on falling for Rachel so I apologise but I haven't exactly thought ahead. I'm taking it a day at a time."_

"_Maybe it's time you started thinking ahead."_

_Quinn swallows hard because she barely thinks the future. She can't think about a future with Rachel because it is always masked by the knowledge that it is a future without Sophie._

_And vice-versa._

_Santana places her hand on Quinn's shoulders lightly, a gesture which is evidently supposed to be comforting._

_Or, at least as comforting as Santana can manage. _

"_Whatever happens, I'm here for you Quinn. Always."_

_Quinn allows herself to breathe a sigh of relief at Santana's reassurance because she doesn't think she can lose both Sophie and Santana._

* * *

There are always moments in your lifetime that you look back on them and think you shouldn't have done that. Maybe because it was wrong, maybe because it resulted something wrong or maybe because you knew what would happen if you did.

This is one of those moments.

She knows that she shouldn't be doing this because it is all of the above. She also knows that she has had a plethora of opportunities to stop herself.

She could have stopped herself from knocking on the door.

She could have stopped herself from kissing her.

She could have stopped herself the very first time she laid eyes on Rachel.

Theoretically, she could have stopped at any one of those times, or all of them, but in reality, she couldn't bring herself to move away from Rachel.

That unmistakable gravitational pull which surrounds Rachel has pulled her in every single time and refuses to release her.

She used to think she had control but around Rachel, she is completely helpless.

She is not in control, not one bit.

It's for that reason that she has been desperate to have the woman again since the first night they met.

She has appreciated the stolen kisses every now and again but they haven't satisfied her inherent craving for the other woman. Rachel has become her personal addiction, nothing is ever good enough. She can be friends with Rachel and spend the entire day with her but she always wants, needs that little bit more.

Even though that little bit more crosses a line that she swore she would never cross again.

Unlike their first time when hands flew everywhere and each movement was rather sloppy and hurried, this time, everything is slowed down. This isn't just about sex, it's not a one-night stand.

It's about something so much more.

Whereas only Rachel knew the consequences of her actions after their first time, this time, they're both aware of the consequences that they face.

They both know the implications of what they're about to do but they aren't stopping them.

It's definitely not stopping Quinn.

Reluctantly, she breaks the kiss to look into Rachel's eyes. Normal chocolate eyes have darkened considerably and the brunette's breath is ragged. She smiles before brushing brown locks out of Rachel's eyes."

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

Every single compliment that falls from Quinn's lips provokes a blush from Rachel. She's under no illusion that Quinn has probably used that line on everybody she meets but for some reason, that doesn't bother Rachel anymore because she can hear the sincerity in Quinn's voice. Complimenting a woman's beauty might be a generic compliment for Quinn but Rachel silently wishes that this is the first Quinn has said it, and genuinely meant it.

It's not a pick-up line.

It's a heart-warming compliment.

Naturally, her first instinct is to laugh nervously and reply with 'I'm not' because even though people have complimented her on her appearance in the past, she always feels the needs to correct them.

What they see clearly isn't what she sees when she looks in the mirror.

This time, she keeps her mouth closed, opting instead to bring their mouths together once more. Like when they first met, their mouths move in perfect synchronisation, like they've been doing this for years and when she feels Rachel's tongue graze her lower lip, Quinn parts her lips that little bit further. Quinn fists her hands in brunette locks as their tongues collide languidly, and she can feel Rachel's moan vibrate against her.

Every action, no matter how minute, is pushing them further and further into the point of no return.

Quinn moves her hands from Rachel's hair to the petite woman's waist, running them underneath her pyjama top, stroking her bare stomach lightly. She pushes them back a little further until Rachel's knees make contact with the bed causing them both to fall onto it. Quinn laughs softly into the kiss at the clumsiness of their actions before brushing her nose lightly against Rachel's.

Rachel's smile every time she does it silently tells her that Rachel enjoys it.

"Hello."

"Rachel smiles shyly. "Hi." She leans up slightly and reconnects their lips, her hands fisting furiously at Quinn's dress, tugging it harshly, silently ordering Quinn to remove the article of clothing which is annoyingly in the way. The blonde obliges immediately and shrugs the dress off, throwing it behind her. The sight of Quinn clad only in underwear causes Rachel to swallow hard.

She can understand why Quinn manages to get any girl she wants.

Quinn really is undeniably beautiful and utterly mesmerising.

Her heart twinges with happiness at the knowledge that out of everybody, Quinn wants her. She can't still really comprehend that but she's grateful for it nevertheless.

She knows this is wrong, that she should be sleeping peacefully by herself, dreaming of her girlfriend but when she feels Quinn's teeth nip at her pulse point, any sensation of this being wrong evaporates.

How can it be wrong when it feels so right?

As the blonde carefully sheds Rachel's clothing, paying detailed attention to every part of her body, she trails her fingers delicately over exposed skin, leaving a wake of shivers in her path, an invisible yet permanent indentation on her skin.

Rachel can't imagine being anywhere else right now.

When the blonde carefully sheds Rachel's clothing, paying detailed attention to every part of her body, trailing her fingers delicately over exposed skin, leaving a wake of shivers in her path, Rachel can't imagine being anywhere else right now.

She may not have experienced it for a while but sex with Sophie had always been more than enjoyable. Her first time with Quinn, even though it had been incredibly rushed, with liquor certainly clouding her memories, she can vividly remember it surpassing sex with Sophie.

And she thinks this time, because both she and Quinn are sober and more than friends, more connected with one another, it will be even better.

If that's even possible.

She can feel goose-bumps spread over her body at the mere thought.

Quinn's tongue darts out to lick her lips and her eyes darken impossibly so at the sight of Rachel's bare chest. Rachel can feel her cheeks becoming hot under the scrutiny of Quinn's gaze before the blonde cups her breasts softly, teasing her.

"Quinn," she exhales the name in the faintest of moans.

Quinn stills and stares down at the other woman. She's both worried and scared that maybe Rachel is having second thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Rachel bobs her head with vigour. "I want you."

That admission seems to be all Quinn needed to hear because she smiles lazily before claiming Rachel's lips with her own.

Her previous doubts and worries disappear the second Quinn's fingers start working in her. The blonde's lips trace soft patterns on her neck and collarbone, gently nipping and sucking every now and again.

It's unbelievably gentle and not at all like their first time.

She may not be very experienced, but being with Quinn like this, makes her feel like she's losing her virginity all over again.

Except this time, it is how she always imagined.

When Quinn hits that spot, she releases a guttural moan and her hips involuntary buck upwards. She hears Quinn chuckle hoarsely against her skin as she places a free hand on Rachel's waist in an attempt to still the woman. She can feel Quinn everywhere and it's fantastic. When Rachel feels that familiar sensational feeling in the pit of her stomach, her eyes involuntarily close. At the action, Quinn immediately stills her ministrations causing Rachel to exert a grunt of annoyance.

"Don't stop."

"Look at me."

She wants to oblige but the feeling of Quinn inside her, coupled with the huskiness of the blonde's voice is making it incredibly difficult.

Dismayed by the lack of reaction from the other woman, Quinn tugs Rachel's earlobe between her teeth before releasing it. "Rachel, look at me."

It's a breathy plea but an order at the same time.

Rachel finally manages to open her eyes and in the split second that brown eyes meet hazel ones, she feels guilt surface in the pit of her stomach.

She knew it would come; she couldn't possibly cheat on her girlfriend and not feel guilty, no matter how right being with Quinn feels.

Only this time, the guilt is masked by something else.

It's masked by love.

If she wasn't already sure she was in love with Quinn, this would be her crystallising moment of realisation. Because the hazel eyes staring back at her are laced with nothing but love.

When they first met, Quinn stared at her with unadulterated lust but now, it isn't lust.

It's love.

Quinn sends her another lazy smile as her fingers start moving once more. She kisses her slowly before whispering against Rachel's lips.

"You are so beautiful."

She thinks the compliment would have been enough but the sudden use of Quinn's thumb on the swollen nub of pleasure sends shockwaves rippling through her body and she allows ecstasy to wash over her, delicious sensations shooting through her body.

"So fucking beautiful," Quinn whispers against her neck before placing a kiss there and slowing her ministrations, waiting patiently for Rachel to come down from her high.

Rachel's cheeks are flushed bright red and her breath is impossibly ragged when she finally manages to look at Quinn again.

The blonde removes her fingers slowly and brushes her nose against Rachel's once more. "Are you okay?"

Rachel nods silently because she's not even sure if she's capable of forming coherent sentences right now.

"Are you sure?" Quinn presses because she can't handle Rachel regretting this, she doesn't know what she'll do if Rachel says this is a mistake and she wants to pretend it never happened. The first time she said that, it hurt a surprising amount, she can't hear it again.

Besides, she was hardly able to pretend these last few months; she can't possibly pretend that this didn't happen.

"I'm perfect," Rachel says, incredibly quietly.

When Quinn hears them, it's the first time she isn't worried about Rachel running from her.

"I love you."

The words fall from Quinn's lips before she can stop them. She couldn't help herself, seeing Rachel underneath her, flushed cheeks and panting, she looks irresistible and stunning.

Rachel sends the blonde a small smile and feels the words 'I love you too' on the tip of her tongue but for some reason, she cannot fathom how to actually speak. No matter how much she wants to tell Quinn that she's in love with her, she can't.

It's at that moment that she truly accepts they have really reached the point of no return. It's not just Sophie that's going to be hurt, if things go wrong, Quinn is going to be heartbroken too.

It's a terrifying concept that Rachel holds the hearts of two people in her hands and unfortunately, one of them is going to be crushed.

* * *

She can safely say that this is a new experience for her.

Just lying in silence with somebody, there's no need to talk; you're just enjoying their company. Normally she can't wait to escape but with Rachel, she's content to stay like this for ever. It does make her think that maybe she shouldn't have left so suddenly after all her one-night stands. Every one of them paled in comparison to Rachel but maybe if she'd allowed herself to stay, she could have become friends with some of the women.

Perhaps they could have become more than a nameless one-night stand.

In fairness, she did use to stay with Alison but being with Rachel feels so much different.

It feels better.

She trails her fingers delicately up and down Rachel's bare arm, revelling in the contented sight that Rachel releases.

It's impossible and she knows that, but somehow, Rachel seems to get more and more stunning every time Quinn looks at her.

Right now, she is unequivocally beautiful.

"That tickles." Quinn grins lazily and stops what she was doing. "I didn't say stop."

The blonde chuckles and gives Rachel a chaste kiss before following the brunette's wishes.

Rachel sighs lightly. "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything you want."

That answer could come in handy later on, Rachel still has some pressing questions that she both wants and needs to ask Quinn but they're not urgent. "What were you talking to Santana about?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"She told me to stop leering at you because I'm apparently not very good at hiding it," Quinn explains. "Most importantly, she made me think about things."

"Like what?"

"The future," Quinn tells her. "When all this is gone, the secrecy and the lies. When Sophie finds out and her heart breaks, what's next? What do we do?"

"She made me think about that too."

"I don't have an answer," Quinn admits quietly. "At least not yet. Do you?"

Rachel shakes her head. "I want to have an answer but right now, all I can think about is Sophie. I can't seem to think past the point when she finds out. I want to be able to but right now, the fact that she's going to be heartbroken is clouding my judgement." Rachel scratches an itch on her nose. "My judgements been so skewed for a while, I am incapable of deciphering between right and wrong now."

"You know what's right and wrong," Quinn tells her.

"I know I do but I don't think the same way I used to, things used to be a lot clearer. I did have a moral compass and I never strayed from that, but with you, I know it's wrong but it just –" Rachel pauses for a second before swallowing. "It doesn't feel that way."

Quinn curls some of Rachel's hair behind her ear gently. "I know how you feel. I may never have really had an impeccable moral compass but if I had, I would definitely have strayed from it when I met you."

"Apparently, what is moral is what you feel good after and –"

"What is immoral is what you feel bad after."

Rachel frowns in surprise. "You know Hemingway?"

"Don't look so surprised, I do have a collection of first-edition books you know, so I'm quite knowledgeable when it comes to literature and writers."

"Santana recited that quote to me earlier."

The blonde's smile widens and she bursts in short, melodic laughter. "So she actually listens to what I say when I'm talking about literature. I bet you that is the only quote she remembered and luckily, it was apt for your conversation. She's probably been waiting for a time when she can use it."

Rachel laughs with the blonde before speaking once more. "I did think it was strange when she said she was an untapped resource of wisdom. I hardly know her but she isn't the type of person I would picture with their nose in a book."

"Well you're right; she is most definitely not that person."

"Speaking of Santana, won't she notice you're not in the room?"

Quinn shakes her head. "She's spending the night with Brittany; their 'no sex before the wedding' pact never really stood a chance at lasting. Honestly, I don't know why they bothered."

"It's romantic."

"If you say so."

"Why do you think some people choose to wait until they're married to engage in –"

"As adorable as I think you are when you say it, please don't say sexual intercourse," Quinn pleads playfully.

Rachel pouts a little at that. "Fine. My point was, after waiting all that time to finally share that special moment with somebody, somebody you love and are spending the rest of your life with, there has to be an elevated sense of emotion that comes with it. Pleasure, nervousness, excitement, everything is bundled into one. If you wait until marriage, I think it could make coitus on the wedding night more special."

"Coitus?" Quinn repeats slowly.

"You asked me not to say sexual intercourse; you can't put an embargo on every word that describes the physical act of love between two people."

"Rachel," Quinn says with a laugh. "How come you're so adorable?"

"It's taken years to perfect this adorableness you see before you," Rachel replies lightly. "Probably as long as it's taken you to perfect being a charmer."

"I've always been a perfect charmer and you can't improve on perfection."

Rachel slaps her lightly on the arm. "You really do have an insufferable ego Quinn Fabray."

"You say insufferable, I say endearing."

The brunette allows herself to smile before falling silent. This conversation is laced with banter, it's as if they've been a couple sharing lazy conversations for years and she somehow forgot about Sophie.

She forgot what they had just done.

When she fell silent, it's as if everything came rapidly flooding back.

Sophie's smile, her kind-hearted nature and her bright blue eyes.

In the silence, she's forced to remember Sophie and guilt bubbles up in her stomach.

Quinn studies her carefully before cupping her cheek, rubbing it with the pad of her thumb. "What's wrong?"

Rachel shuffles ever so slightly before rolling over onto her side so she's directly facing Quinn. "I never wanted to be a cheater."

Quinn frowns lightly before mimicking the other woman's actions and shuffling impossibly close to her, their faces mere inches away from each other. "I doubt anybody wants to become a cheater."

"I certainly didn't think I was capable of cheating on somebody I loved. I could never imagine hurting somebody so much. I always thought that if you're unhappy in a relationship, why not leave? Why prolong an inevitable break-up and add unnecessary pain and hurt? It's just cruel."

"You make it seem so black and white."

"Isn't it?" Rachel questions quietly. "I could have left Sophie months ago, staying with her has only increased the hurt she's going to feel when she finds out. I was a coward."

Quinn sends Rachel a small smile, in an attempt to provide some form of comfort. "Relationships aren't easy."

"Is that why you don't want one?"

She shakes her head softly against the pillow. "I never said I didn't want one, at least not explicitly. I just…they're a lot of trouble, sometimes more trouble than they're worth. Besides, you were right."

"Right about what?"

"I didn't want to put my heart on the line again, not after it was broken. One-night stands made that easy to avoid."

"Life's all about taking risks," Rachel tells her. "They say you regret the things you didn't do more than the things you did do."

"I don't know, I'm pretty sure you regret some of the things you do do, I know I regret some."

Rachel clears her throat nervously and licks her lips. "How do you do it?"

Quinn furrows her brow. "Do what?"

"Sleep with married women, women in relationships? You know they have a partner but you sleep with them anyway. How do you sleep at night knowing that you could have potentially damaged a couple? I know you said the partner is their problem, not yours, but part of you must care. Please tell me you're not that heartless."

"You're making me sound like the big bad wolf Rachel," Quinn says with a slight scoff. "The women I sleep with want to sleep with me, okay, they're willing to cheat so don't act like I'm forcing them to do something they don't want to."

"I wasn't suggesting that you forced anybody."

"I mean, you had a girlfriend but you still happily slept with me. I have no control over what happens in relationships but not everybody cheats. You could say I'm doing their partner a favour, they'll realise that the person they're with isn't the one they should be with if they're willing to cheat."

Rachel's silent for some time before nodding slowly. "Is that what you're doing with me? Helping Sophie realise that I'm not the one for her."

"No."

The answer is quick and firm.

"You must have hurt so many people, what's one more?" Rachel questions and the implication that Sophie is that _one _is impossible to miss.

"I never wanted to hurt Sophie." Quinn sighs heavily and rolls onto her back. "If you'd have been honest with me from the start and told me your real name, maybe nothing would have happened between us."

"So everything that's happened between is my fault."

"I didn't mean that, you're twisting my words."

Rachel shakes her head as she sits up in bed. "I think you're doing a pretty good job of that on your own."

Quinn pushes the blanket off and grabs the robe which hangs on the bathroom door before shrugging it on. "I'm not proud of my past, I mean; honestly, it never really bothered until I met you. You're perfect Rachel and compared to you, I'm incredibly flawed but I'm not that person anymore. Believe me when I say that hurting Sophie is the last thing I ever wanted to do."

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have implied that you didn't care."

"Less than fifteen minutes ago, I told you I loved you," Quinn exclaims loudly. "Have you forgotten that? If I could go back in time and never meet you, I would, because falling in love with you Rachel may be the best thing that's ever happened to me but it's also going to be the most damaging."

"I'm sorry."

Quinn doesn't seem to register the brunette's apology. "How many times do I have to tell you that you are not a game to me Rachel?"

"I'm sorry."

The third apology finally seems to register with Quinn. "It doesn't matter; you have every right to doubt me."

Rachel climbs out of bed, wrapping the blanket around her as she walks towards Quinn. "I don't doubt you, it's just…this entire situation is impossible. I couldn't bear it if this had all been for nothing, if Sophie's heart breaks for nothing."

"You are not nothing to me," Quinn says slowly. "You are everything."

"I don't want to upset you again but you never answered my question."

"Yes I did," Quinn protests hurriedly.

Rachel shakes her head slowly. "About how you do it sure, but not whether part of you cares about the people hurting. This doesn't apply to Sophie right now, I just want to know if you've ever cared about the strangers you never meet but yet you may affect their life for the worse."

"Rachel."

"If you don't want to answer –"

"I made myself not care. Relationships are over-rated; you spend months, years being the perfect girlfriend, saying you love them every single day, surprising them with little presents every now and again when they're least expecting it, treating them like they're the only person in the world and one day it ends, just like that. There's no warning, no indication that you're about to be heartbroken and left with the feeling that you've wasted two years of your life."

"You're not talking about relationships in general; you're talking about yours with Alison," Rachel states as a matter-of-fact."

"They're all the same."

"No, they're not."

"A lot of them end in heartbreak."

"Did she cheat on you?" Rachel asks quietly. "Is that why you have an odd vendetta against relationships, you can't bear to see happy couples because you and Alison were one and then she cheated on you. Is that why you told everybody it was a mutual break-up because you didn't want anybody to see how hurt you really were?" She supposes it could be a logical explanation; Quinn could be exerting suppressed revenge on Alison, on every woman in a relationship who succumbs to her charms. "You can't tarnish every relationship with the same brush as yours was tarnished with."

Quinn exhales heavily and brushes past Rachel to sit on the bed. She knew the subject of Alison would rear its ugly head again, Rachel wasn't going to let it drop but she wished it hadn't reappeared tonight.

Everything was going perfectly for them.

"She didn't cheat on me. It's not that interesting and there isn't some psychological reason behind what I do."

Rachel sits down beside Quinn and takes her hand, entwining their fingers. "Then what happened? Whatever it was, you have to admit that it shaped your view on relationships."

"She fell out of love with me," Quinn admits softly after several seconds of silence. "That's it. I don't know if you were expecting some big secret, a juicy reveal but the truth of the matter is incredibly mundane. She just fell out of love with me."

"How?" Rachel asks because now she's fallen for Quinn, she couldn't imagine falling out of love with her.

"I don't even know how long she'd known, it could have been months and all the while, I thought everything was perfect. I was in love with her and I thought she loved me. Do you want to know the reason she gave me for why she fell out of love with me?"

"What was it?"

Quinn chuckles dryly. "She didn't have one, she said she didn't know why or when it happened but one day she looked at me and she didn't feel that rush of excitement, her heart didn't beat that little bit faster like it used to. One day she looked at me and I was exactly the same person I had been when we were 16, a friend."

"Quinn –"

"You want a reason why I don't like relationships?" Quinn whispers, desperately quiet as if the mere memory plagues her with hurt. "How about the fact that I poured my heart into my first relationship with Alison and at the end of the day, it was all for nothing because I wasn't good enough.

"Quinn –" Rachel attempts to interject once more.

"If I had been good enough, maybe she wouldn't have fallen out of love with me," Quinn suggests lightly. "I've thought about that you know. I mean, I guess we became comfortable in our relationship and maybe that was it, maybe there wasn't enough excitement in the relationship for her anymore. Maybe she just grew bored of me. I should have tried harder though, I should have fought for her."

"You can't make somebody feel what you want them to," Rachel says softly. "If she fell out of love with you, nothing you did would have changed her feelings. It's not like flicking a switch; she can't have woken up one day and decided that she wasn't in love with you anymore. I don't want to sound harsh but it must have been happening for some time. You don't just fall out of love with somebody in a split second."

"Maybe, but I guess I'll never know why she fell out of love with me," Quinn says quietly. "I haven't seen her since that day."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Telling me about her."

Quinn shrugs her shoulders in a nonchalant way. "I told you that you could ask me anything."

Rachel nuzzles her nose against Quinn's cheek softly before placing a tender kiss there. "How about we go to sleep? This night has certainly not turned out the way I expected it to."

"For the better?"

"Definitely."

Quinn bobs her head with a smile and can't resist giving Rachel a chaste kiss before she climbs underneath the blanket as Rachel clambers across her rather than walk around the distance of the bed, adding an extra blanket to the bed.

She's just managed to get herself comfortable when Rachel speaks. "It may sound mean but I'm glad she fell out of love with you."

Quinn scoffs rather loudly before rolling over to face the brunette. "Really? Why is that?"

"Because it meant that I could fall in love with you."

The blonde grins widely. When she had admitted her feelings for Rachel, she didn't fail to notice how Rachel never returned the sentiment. She didn't say 'I love you too'. She wasn't sure whether Rachel's feelings were as deep as hers but now she knows.

Quinn's grin soon turns into laughter which causes Rachel to frown. "We were having a sweet moment, why are you laughing?"

"I'm sorry," Quinn breathes out through laughter. "It's just; I don't think you could have sounded cheesier if you tried."

Rachel pouts and crosses her arms. "I thought it was romantic."

Quinn grabs the brunette's arms and gently forces her to uncross them. "It was, I'm just not very good with romantic feelings. I told you that."

"You didn't need to laugh."

"You're right, I'm sorry." Quinn brushes her nose against Rachel's softly. "Say it again." Rachel seems hesitant and Quinn pouts at the other woman. "I promise I won't laugh."

Rachel frowns before relenting. "I'm in love with you."

Quinn's face lights up as she kisses Rachel sweetly. Whatever happens outside this room and whatever happens in the near future, at least she can take solace in this moment.

The moment which could turn out to be bittersweet.

The moment which may be the one that hurts Sophie that little bit more.

The moment she realised that the woman she's in love with, loves her too.

If she's honest, nothing else matters right now.

Nothing but Rachel.

"I'm in love with you too."

* * *

At the sound of continuous ringing, she tugs her bottom lip between her teeth before impatiently drumming her fingers against the table. She doesn't normally have to wait this long, usually her phone call is answered within the first couple of rings but not this time. As the call diverts to voicemail, she waits until the incredibly long-winded instructions of what to do next stops playing.

Most people would have the generic voicemail message, given to them by the mobile phone network or create their own, a simple 'I can't answer, leave a message."

Not Rachel.

"Hello, this is the phone belonging to Rachel Barbra Berry. I profusely apologise that I am unable to answer your call but I could be engaging in a plethora of activities, singing, acting or scrolling through fan sites dedicated to the one and only Barbra Streisand. Whatever the reason, I will aim to reply to you at my earliest convenience so please leave a message." There's a slight pause and when she first received Rachel's voicemail, she presumed this was when she started talking but after being with Rachel for over a year, she knows it isn't the right time to speak. She finds herself subconsciously smiling at Rachel's conclusion to her voicemail greeting. "Unless you don't want to but I would appreciate it if you did."

Eventually she hears the beep and sighs lightly before speaking. "Hey, it's me. I just wanted to say hello and to be honest; I wanted to hear your voice. I know it's only been a week but I miss it already," she pauses and tilts her head to the side. "I miss you." She scratches a non-existent itch over her eyebrow. "I hope you're having fun in Vegas, don't let Santana corrupt you, I know what she's capable of," she chuckles ever so lightly before sighing.

"We're about to open a bottle of wine, are you coming down?"

Sophie turns as one of her fellow teachers, Jessica, appears in the doorway of her hotel room. She nods before pulling the phone away from her ear. "I'll be down in a second, pour me a glass please." Jessica nods with a smile and as soon as she disappears from sight, Sophie brings the phone back to her ear. "I've got to go babe, call me when you have a free minute."

She doesn't realise it when she says goodbye and hangs up.

She doesn't realise it when she catches up with Jessica on the stairs.

She doesn't realise it when she first starts drinking.

It's only later that night when she realises.

That was the first time she didn't end a phone call to Rachel with the words 'I love you.'

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**Sara –** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Is it good or bad that you don't know what to feel? I hope it's the former. The truth will be revealed shortly and Quinn and Rachel will be happily together, eventually :)

**Guest **– Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Is that a good 'damn it' or a bad one?

**Lealover** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) I think even though Santana is incredibly bitchy and puts up a wall between everybody and her emotions, she does genuinely care about her friends so she was always going to be understanding. She will confide in Brittany don't worry about that. Another cliff hanger? Have I ended many chapters on them, I wasn't aware I had. I thought this chapter needed the cliff hanger though. I do accept that I have a vicious streak though. Ooh you're Scottish.

**A** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad you enjoyed the Brittany flashback; I did hope that it would make previous things in the story make sense so I'm glad you think I achieved that. Thank you :) I hope this wait was short enough :)

Rachel said she was going to tell Sophie after she comes back from Italy but that doesn't mean that she'll get a chance to before the wedding. You're right, that would be a tense wedding but I think having the break-up/reveal at the wedding will make it even tenser.

I have included Sophie's point of view briefly in a previous chapter but to answer your question, I will be doing her point of view again after the reveal.

I wouldn't have guessed that English wasn't your first language so no need to apologise :)

**Rawwwwr** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you. I didn't think it was rambling but I understand why you think it was. I will admit that I wasn't sure whether to include it or not but in the end, I decided to write it. People were questioning in earlier chapters whether Brittany knew and I wanted to answer that question, albeit later than planned. I'm sorry you weren't a fan of Brittany's perspective though. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter a little bit more than the previous one.

**Polux** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) I think that's probably because being unfaithful means you're keeping so many secrets that you start to act differently. Nobody is that good an actor after all. Thank you, I'm glad you like my characterisation of Brittany and Santana. No, you're not mistake and they fell into temptation into this chapter. In that case, Hola! You weren't rambling. Thank you :) Until next time.

**Mars** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm sorry, I know the last bit was mean but I'm mean. Was the perspective the person you thought it would be?

**VGA** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much! I'm glad to hear that. Haha, I know I'm evil and I apologise for the cliff hanger but I thought it was a good chapter to leave one.

**Kilylou **– Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you. That was my intention, I wanted it to be a good cliffhanger.

**Guest – **Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad you like the story. Regarding the length of the story, how long would you prefer it to be? Every single chapter of this story has been over 4000 words which I think is pretty decent and this chapter is close to 6000 words. As far as the responses to reviewers at the bottom, I apologise if you think they are too long but if you leave a review, you deserve a response, even though I sometimes ramble. No need to apologise for your English :)


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: I apologise for the wait between updates, real life got on top of me. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Words (minus responses to reviews) - 5364

* * *

**Chapter 28:**

The first thing she notices when she wakes up is the arm wrapped around her waist. That's something she hasn't encountered for a while. Since her and Sophie's relationship has been deteriorating gradually for the past couple of months, they couldn't be further apart when they sleep. She's missed the comfort and protection she feels with somebody's arm wrapped around her.

It's like you're still connected to them, even when you're fast asleep.

The second thing she notices is the time on the alarm clock. Her eyes widen when she sees that it's nearly 8am. She knows that Brittany is quite an early bird and will undoubtedly be heading down to breakfast soon, with or without Santana and she doesn't want them to see Quinn.

That will definitely be hard to explain.

She moves as gently as she can but Quinn merely tightens her hold on her, almost as if she can sense subconsciously that Rachel is trying to leave her.

Smiling contently at the gesture, she gently pries the woman's arm away from her before slipping out the bed and shrugging on the robe that Quinn had thrown to the floor earlier. When she had suggested going to bed, she had meant to sleep but that plan didn't exactly work.

Quinn thought they had time for round two and Rachel wasn't going to disagree with her.

She pauses at the foot of the bed and watches as Quinn sleeps. She looks so incredibly peaceful. Even fast asleep she still looks perfect. Just one more thing that Rachel is envious of her for. She tip-toes towards the bathroom, closing the door as quietly as she can behind her.

At the sound of a door closing, Quinn's eyes flutter open. She covers her mouth as she yawns before rubbing her eyes. She can already tell it's early; her body doesn't want to wake up. It's only when she manages to force her eyes to stay open that she sees the other side of the bed is empty.

Panic immediately floods through her because Rachel should be there, she shouldn't be lying in an empty bed.

Rachel wouldn't have left her again.

She couldn't, could she?

When she hears the toilet flush, seconds before the faucet turns on, she breathes a deep sigh of relief. She never thought she'd be so pleased to hear such rudimentary sounds. The bathroom door opens shortly after and Quinn watches as Rachel tip-toes back towards the bed, clearly unaware that Quinn has woken up.

"Good morning." Rachel jumps slightly at the voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay, I just didn't realise you were awake," Rachel replies. "I didn't wake you did I? I tried to be as quiet as I could. I used to do ballet when I was little so I've learnt to be quite graceful and my dads always said I was light footed."

"It wasn't you Rachel," Quinn says quickly. "I suppose I should be asking if I woke you up."

Rachel tilts her head to the side. "Why?"

Quinn rubs the back of her neck. "You told me I snore and I didn't have my strips, I probably snored last night."

Rachel chuckles quietly. "I think I was too content in my dreams to wake up. Besides, you were sleeping on your side and that helps."

"That's good to know."

"Did you know you look unbelievably peaceful when you sleep? It's like you haven't got a care in the world."

"I'm pretty sure I don't when I'm asleep."

"It's nice."

Quinn gives her a half-smile but Rachel sees through it. It isn't the normal smile Quinn gives her, it doesn't reach her eyes. She sits at the foot of the bed before shuffling closer to Quinn. "What's wrong? Is this about what happened between us last night? Are you okay? You don't regret it do you?"

"Rachel," Quinn intervenes, silencing Rachel's rambling. "I don't regret last night; I could never regret anything with you."

She sighs heavily through relief. "That's good, I didn't know what I'd do if you said you had," Rachel tells her. "So something else is worrying you? You're frowning ever so slightly and getting a little crinkle above your nose so something is definitely up."

Quinn exhales briefly. "I thought you'd left."

"This is my hotel room, why would I leave?" Rachel replies, not truly grasping the concept of Quinn's fear.

"I thought you'd left me, again."

Rachel opens her mouth in understanding. "I just went to the bathroom," she says, even though Quinn knows that. "I wouldn't do that to you again, the thought didn't even cross my mind. After our first time, I left because I felt guilty and I was scared. I'd never done anything like that before but that wasn't what worried me, it worried me how I felt about you. Even after one night, I knew something had changed, I knew that I felt something for you. I feel incredibly safe with you Quinn, when we're together; everything just feels so…right. I love you Quinn. I'm not going anywhere."

Quinn visibly relaxes, beaming at the words 'I love you'; she doesn't think she'll ever get tired of hearing Rachel say those words. She pecks the other woman's lips with a smile. "Since we're both awake –" She leaves the sentence unfinished because the implication of what she is suggesting is obvious.

Rachel rests her forehead against Quinn's and gives her a chaste kiss. "You need to leave."

The blonde recoils ever so slightly. "I'm sorry?"

"It's nearly 8am, everybody will be waking up soon and I don't want anybody to see you leaving my hotel room."

"Are you ashamed of me?" The question is laced with playfulness but there's still an underlying serious tone.

"Of course not," Rachel reassures quickly. "I just...I don't want people to know about what happened last night. The more people that know, the more likely it is to get back to Sophie and I want to be the one to tell her, on my own terms."

"Okay."

"You don't mind do you?"

Quinn shakes her head. "Do I have a choice?"

"You always have a choice; I just think it would be beneficial if you agree with me."

Quinn sighs lightly before bobbing her head and climbing out of bed as Rachel starts dressing. She walks around the room, collecting the scattered articles of clothing before pausing with a furrowed brow. "Have you seen my bra?" She asks quietly before frowning harder. "How the hell can it have vanished?"

"It hasn't vanished," Rachel replies. She kneels down at the side of the bed and grabs Quinn's bra, throwing it in the blonde's direction. "You're just not looking properly."

Quinn smiles shyly before looking back at Rachel to find the brunette already half-dressed. "Thank you." She puts her bra on and walks towards Rachel, wrapping her arms around the other woman's waist. "You know, I have to say, I preferred it when you weren't dressed."

Even though they were still cheating on Sophie and they were still keeping secrets, even adding an extra secret into the mix, something about this feels different.

If it's possibly, the amount of guilt both women feel seems to have diminished ever so slightly. The guilt is undoubtedly still ever-present but it's not the first thing either girl feels when they look at each other.

"Is that so?"

"Definitely," she says, kissing Rachel gently. "Do I really have to go? We could just go back to bed and then leave together; chances are nobody will see us."

"Murphy's Law says that somebody will see us and besides, I can't go back to bed, it's already later than I usually wake up which is detrimental to my morning routine."

"I didn't mean go back to bed to sleep."

"I'm fully aware what you meant Quinn and the answer is still no," Rachel clarifies clearly. "Besides, I'll be seeing you at breakfast in like ten minutes."

"I'm pretty sure everybody other than Mercedes and Tina knows how I feel about you."

"They don't need to know what we did last night though," Rachel says quietly. "Please Quinn. We only need to keep this a secret for a few more days and then everything will be out in the open."

Quinn shrugs her dress on, silently hoping that she won't bump into Santana because the woman will definitely quiz her on the reasoning behind wearing last night's attire. "I best go then."

She brushes past Rachel, stilling as the brunette wraps her fingers around her wrist. "Are you mad at me? I wish you could stay but that will just complicate things even more."

Quinn sighs lightly and shakes her head. "I'm not mad at you," she reassures gently, squeezing her hand in a comforting manner. "I'll see you at breakfast."

* * *

When she comes down for breakfast, everybody except Karen is already there. Brittany is staring at her plate of food with a disgusted expression and Quinn recognises the look instantly. She's hung-over and is debating silently with herself whether eating the food will make her feel better or make her throw-up. When she pushes the plate away from her, Quinn smiles. Clearly Brittany has chosen the latter option.

"Are you not eating this?"

Santana says next to Brittany's ear and the blonde closes her eyes at the sudden volume of her fiancée's voice. "No San, I can't stomach it."

"Can I have it?"

"You've already eaten," Brittany states quietly, her fiancée's appetite never fails to amaze her. She thought she could eat but Santana puts her to shame. When she opens her eyes, she's met by a pout and she immediately nods her head. "Help yourself; you'll actually be doing me a favour. I can't stand the smell."

She watches in amazement as Santana starts shovelling the food into her mouth. "How are you not hung-over?"

Santana shrugs and swallows her mouthful. "I'm one of life's winners I guess."

Brittany places her hand to her forehead and sighs. "I hate you right now."

Santana smiles and pecks Brittany's cheek. "I love you too."

Quinn walks past the ridiculously adorable couple and places her plate of food on the table next to Santana, opposite Rachel, Mercedes and Tina. Mercedes and Tina are talking to Rachel even though the brunette doesn't appear to be paying attention. When Quinn sits down, Rachel brings her attention away from her coffee and sends the blonde a shy smile.

Quinn returns the smile before starting to eat her breakfast.

"You're awake earlier than normal Q."

"I couldn't sleep."

"So that's why you weren't in the room this morning when I came back."

The blonde closes her eyes as Santana accidentally sprays her with food. "God Santana, say it don't spray it."

Santana grimaces before swallowing her mouthful. "Sorry."

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk around the hotel," Quinn lies, silently praying her voice doesn't increase in pitch so Santana won't be able to tell she's lying.

"I could probably do with a walk," Brittany chimes in, still holding her hand to her forehead. "I feel like I've got unicorns bounding about in my head, which is weird because I always thought they were gentle creatures who prance but they don't."

Santana smiles softly at her before finishing her plate of food. "Come on Britt, I'll walk with you. I'm pretty sure we passed an ice-cream shop yesterday when we were sight-seeing. Ice-cream always makes you feel better."

Brittany manages a small smile and takes Santana's offered hand before walking towards the hotel lobby. As they're leaving, they pass Karen who bids them a good morning which is clearly too loud for Brittany as the blonde flinches.

"Good morning my friends," Karen announces as she sits next to Quinn, taking Santana's previous seat. "Lovely day isn't it."

Quinn furrows her brow. "It looks like it's going to rain," she states obviously. "Why are you so happy?"

"Why wouldn't I be Quinn, it's a lovely day despite your protests, I always like it just before it rains and I'm in Vegas with all my friends," Karen replies with a wide grin. "What's there to be unhappy about?"

Quinn quirks her right eyebrow and smirks at the dark-haired woman. She knows that look and behaviour, she's experienced it enough herself and Santana always acted like that after she and Brittany first started dating.

"What's her name?"

Karen's reply is instantaneous. "Annie."

"I didn't even notice you talking to a woman last night."

"That's because you've been too absorbed with Rachel, which I perfectly understand and I'm all for helping, but a girl has needs Quinn. Originally I thought you could help me with that but obviously -" she pauses for a second and glances at Rachel who finally seems interested in Mercedes Tina's conversation. "I need to look elsewhere."

"I'm deeply apologetic that I couldn't help you."

"Don't you worry about that. Whereas some people don't like to blow their own trumpet, I'm an avid fan of doing that because nobody else is going to do it for you. That's why I'll tell you Quinn that you are not the only charmer when it comes to women. I find the British accent works wonders."

"I can imagine." Karen beams before pinching a piece of toast of Quinn's plate. "There's a buffet right behind you, as much food as you want."

"Your food is right next to me though; proximity of food wins in this case." Quinn frowns but doesn't attempt to snatch the toast back. "So, what's the deal with you and –" She neglects to use her name but the sharp glance in Rachel's direction is telling enough.

"Same as ever."

"So I didn't see you leaving her room this morning?" Karen's voice drops to a whisper in an attempt to make it harder for Rachel to hear. Luckily for the pair of them, Rachel chooses that accept moment to excuse herself from the table.

Quinn swallows suddenly. "What?"

"Santana stayed in Brittany's room last night and I was not going to be a third wheel to them so I stayed in Annie's hotel room. I left this morning to go outside for a cigarette only to find you sneaking out of Rachel's room and tiptoeing to your own."

"It's not what you think."

Karen bobs her head. "Sure it's not. What's the real story? You were just wishing her a good morning? How about that wasn't actually Rachel's room; it was just a random one-night stand. Because I know that's not the truth since you _are _too hung on Rachel to even think about anybody else, let alone sleep with anybody else.

"Karen –"

"I'm not going to tell anybody."

"I know you wouldn't."

Karen tilts her head to the side. "So, is the situation what I think it is after all?" Quinn bites down on her bottom lip. She's aware that Rachel doesn't really want anybody to know what happened to them last night but Karen saw them, it's not like Quinn could deny it, the evidence was all there. Slowly, she nods. "How are you with that? I mean, you were struggling with what to do before but now, everything must have increased ten-fold."

"She's telling Sophie," Quinn explains. "She wants to be the one to tell her so I guess the ball is in her court, I don't really know what I can do."

"Be there for her," Karen suggests.

Quinn exhales heavily. "I'm trying. Sometimes it's like…I don't know, I feel as if she's blowing hot and cold with me," Quinn confesses. "One minute, things are great and then things change on a dime and we're having a…I don't know, a mini argument. I know that our situation isn't ideal so obviously there's an increased level of stress and worry but I want to be there for her. Sometimes I think she pushes me away on purpose. Maybe it makes it easier for her to deal with everything."

"Have you talked to her about this?"

"No."

"Maybe you should, you know, it might sound crazy and perhaps it isn't something you're used to but people will never know how you feel unless you tell them. Talking about things really is the way forward."

"That sounds like a horoscope Karen."

Karen shrugs and steals the second piece of Quinn's toast, much to the blonde's dismay. "Personally, I think that sounds like pretty damn good advice," she says before glancing at the buffet. "You know what, I think I will get my own food, yours is going a bit cold."

* * *

She taps her pen against the newspaper, her gaze fixated on the crossword puzzle but the spaces all remain blank. She doesn't seem to be able to concentrate. Normally she enjoys doing the daily crossword, she finds it a simple way to test her brain but today, no matter how hard she thinks, she can't get any answers.

Perhaps it's because her mind is too busy thinking about Quinn and Sophie to think about any of the clues, for example, 'like snow after a blizzard, perhaps.'

"Penny for them."

Rachel brings her attention away from the crossword to find Brittany standing in front her, holding a coin in her outstretched fingers.

"I'm sorry?"

"You look like you've got a lot on your mind and my mom always offers me money if I tell her what I'm thinking so I thought you might be interested in that offer," Brittany explains. "I don't know why people don't offer something better like a dollar. I'd be more willing to tell people my thoughts if I knew I was getting more money, not that many people are probably interested in my thoughts. They're confusing. Apart from Santana, I only really tell my thoughts to Lord Tubbington and that's only because he would read it in my diary if I didn't tell him. I'm trying to train him to not be nosy."

Rachel can't help but smile at Brittany's rambling. "He reads your diary?" She asks, completely confounded. She learnt a long time ago that Brittany's cat appears to do things that other cats are incapable of. During high school, Brittany's cat played a role in several stories, including joining a gang.

"He's sneaky."

Rachel bobs her head. "How are you feeling? You didn't look particularly well at breakfast."

"I wasn't feeling too great but Santana bought me ice-cream and that always works wonders on my hangovers. Plus she gave me sweet lady kisses, those works too."

"I can imagine."

"So, penny for them?"

"That's just an expression Brittany; you don't actually have to give people money."

Brittany cocks her head to the side in thought. "So you don't want my money?

"It's okay, you can keep it."

"If you don't take my money, does that mean I don't get to hear your thoughts?" Brittany asks with genuine curiosity.

"Why do you want to hear my thoughts?"

"Why wouldn't I? I'm sure what you're thinking about is interesting."

Rachel sighs heavily, she knows full well that Brittany won't stop asking and it is impossible to refuse Brittany. She perfected the pout years ago and over time, she added her eyes in the mix. Coupled together, saying no to her would be like kicking a puppy.

"You and Santana are honest with each other right?"

Brittany nods her head emphatically before taking a seat at the table beside Rachel. "Yeah, we didn't tell each other everything when we first started dating. It's not like we kept anything major from each other but some things and then we ended up arguing over those little things. It's better to be honest with each other, especially since we're getting married."

"So you and her tell each other everything?" Once more Brittany nods. "In that case, I'm guessing she's told you about me and –" She leaves the question open because she's pretty confident Brittany will know who she is talking about.

The blonde quirks her eyebrow because she didn't actually expect Rachel to bring up her situation with Quinn, she's been silent about it for so long. "You and Quinn?"

"Yeah, Quinn and I."

"Yes, she told me about it but –" Brittany pauses momentarily. "I already knew."

Rachel whips her head up at that admission. "You already knew. How could you possibly know?"

"I don't know, I just knew. Neither of you is very subtle so that was my first clue. Besides, you know I've always been perspicacious to people's feelings."

Rachel's eyes widen ever so slightly at Brittany's choice in wording. "Perspicacious?"

"It means having an insight in things."

Rachel smiles softly. "Thank you for explaining."

Brittany grins. "I bought myself a word of the day calendar; I wanted to surprise Santana at the wedding by sounding smart in my speech. Sometimes, especially when she's angry at somebody, she uses words that I don't really know and for once, I want to be the one that uses words she doesn't know. If that's possible."

"You're smart Brittany, don't ever doubt that."

"Not in the same way you are or Santana and Quinn."

"So you don't use fancy words all the time, that doesn't imply you're any less smart than any of us. As a matter of fact, you're smarter than me in so many ways," Rachel replies. "I mean, you knew about me and Quinn before anybody told you, you probably even knew how deeply I felt for her before I realised it."

"How do you feel about her?"

Rachel smirks. "Why don't you tell me?"

"Okay," Brittany says, clapping her hands in excitement. "It's like a game. I think you're in love with her."

"Your assumption is accurate."

"I didn't think you were ever going to talk to me about her."

"I was just waiting for the right moment.

Brittany crosses her legs. "Is this the right moment?"

"Quinn and I…last night we," Rachel cuts herself off quickly. She told Quinn that she didn't want anybody to find about them so she doesn't want to break her own rule and tell Brittany. "Something happened last night that changed everything between us."

"What do you mean by changed?"

"Just changed," Rachel says. "We crossed a line that cannot be uncrossed."

Brittany bobs her head because Rachel doesn't need to say what happened last night between her and Quinn, it's pretty obvious.

"How are you?"

"Happy," Rachel says. "Confused, worried alongside a mixture of other emotions. I'm pretty sure I'm feeling everything right now."

"But you said happy first, before any other emotion, you said happy so that must be your main feeling."

Rachel smiles. "It is."

"I'm glad you're happy," Brittany says. "The situation is convoluted but everybody deserves to be happy."

Rachel smirks at her use of the word convoluted. "You're right, except, Sophie deserves to be happy and I'm not making her happy."

"Maybe not now," Brittany states. "But you did for the majority of your relationship. Maybe you're not in love with her anymore, and maybe your relationship has changed for the worse, but you both love each other. You've both made each other happy in the past. Personally, I think it's better to have shared happy moments with somebody you love and lose them then to never have shared any moments with them."

"That's quite a nice way to look at it."

"Don't sound too surprised."

Rachel chuckles. "Sorry."

"Me and Santana broke our no-sex before the wedding pact again last night," Brittany announces suddenly.

Rachel cocks her head to the side, unsure as to why Brittany is telling her. "I thought you really wanted to wait."

"I did," Brittany replies. "But Santana didn't and I can't resist Santana, especially when she's wearing sexy underwear."

"Why did you tell me that?"

"We're friends," Brittany replies as if it's the simplest answer in the world. "Friends talk to each other about sex and relationships. You shared something personal with me so I thought I'd share something with you."

Both women look over their shoulder as Santana calls Brittany. Brittany waves at before digging in her pocket and withdrawing two cents. She tosses them in Rachel's direction and the brunette laughs as they land in her lap.

"What is this for?"

"I gave you my two cents worth," she replies. "Or is this an expression like penny for your thoughts? Do you actually take the money?"

Rachel presses her lips tightly together. "You can take it but I'll let you keep your two cents."

"Don't worry," Brittany says quickly. "I'll get them back off Santana later when I give her my pearls of wisdom."

* * *

Rachel stares out of the window in the lobby to find that the rain has stopped. She tucks her hands into her jacket pockets before heading towards the revolving doors; she just needs some fresh air.

Some space away from this hotel.

She knew last night that everything had changed between her and Quinn now but she had been too caught up in the moment to focus on it too much. Now, in the light of day, she doesn't have a semi-naked Quinn distracting her thoughts, she's free to think about what has happened between them.

"Maybe I'm being paranoid but I feel like you've been avoiding me practically all day," Quinn says as she suddenly appears beside Rachel, causing the brunette to cease walking.

Okay, so she doesn't have a semi-naked Quinn distracting her, just a fully-clothed one.

"I haven't been avoiding you," Rachel reassures lightly. "At least, not on purpose. I'm sorry if it looked that way."

"Really?" Quinn scoffs. "You could have fooled me, especially since you're not even looking at me."

Rachel starts walking once more and she hears Quinn sigh heavily behind her before a hand wraps around her wrist stilling her.

"Don't walk away from me Rachel."

"I was just going for a walk; I wasn't specifically walking away from you."

"You weren't purposely avoiding me, you aren't specifically walking away from me," Quinn repeats. "If that's the case, stand still and talk to me."

"Quinn –"

"This is about last night isn't it?" Quinn states. "Do you regret it? If that's the case, just be honest and tell me, stop acting so cold around me. I thought things had changed for the better between us."

"They have and I don't regret last night."

"Then why are you acting weird?" Quinn asks with genuine curiosity. "I mean, last night, we were fine and then you started questioning me about my past like you were trying to cause a fight."

"I was just curious."

"I don't know why Rachel, but you're blowing hot and cold with me," she tells her, surprised with herself that she's actually talking to Rachel about this. "You have been since before this weekend. After our first time, you ran away from me. After you kissed me in the theatre, you ran away. One minute you can't seem to get enough of me and the next, you can't seem to get away from me fast enough. I'm just a little confused."

"Can we walk and talk?" Rachel asks and Quinn nods slowly before following her dotingly as they leave the hotel lobby and start walking. Quinn wonders if Rachel has a specific direction in mind or if she's just walking aimlessly.

"Are we going anywhere special?"

Her question remains unanswered.

Quinn stares at Rachel's hand and bites her lip before placing her hand in Rachel's. Part of her is worried that Rachel's going to move away but the brunette doesn't so much as flinch.

"Is this okay?"

Rachel smiles properly for the first time since they started talking and nods, entwining their fingers properly. "It's perfect."

Quinn gives her hand a gentle squeeze. "If something's wrong, you can tell me Rachel. I'm not going anywhere."

The brunette remains silent for several seconds before she exhales heavily. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Kicking you out this morning," Rachel starts. "Not talking to you for most of the day, I wanted to, it's just –"

"Just what?"

"Sophie rang me."

Quinn pales and for the briefest of seconds, she wonders whether Rachel's about to tell her that they've broken up. She shakes her head to rid herself of that thought because Rachel told her that she wanted to tell Sophie face-to-face, she wouldn't have changed her mind and done it over the phone.

That would be unnecessarily cruel.

"What did she say?"

"She left a voicemail," Rachel explains. "She rang when we were otherwise engaged, I mean, I didn't hear my phone vibrating and even if I did, I wouldn't have answered it because we were preoccupied, if that's the right –"

"I get it Rachel. So what did she say?"

"That she missed me and she hoped I was having a good time in Vegas," Rachel recites Sophie's message. "It was nothing more than an ordinary message."

"That's good," Quinn says. "You had me worried she'd said something about us."

"It's not good Quinn," Rachel clarifies. "She never leaves me an ordinary message, there's always something extra in there. An inside joke or she tells me something completely irrelevant almost as if she's forgotten that she's leaving a message and she always ends her messages with 'I love you'."

"And…"

"And she didn't do that this time, none of it."

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything."

Rachel turns to face Quinn. "Yes it does. She knows that something is up, she has done for a while now but I've been too much of a coward to do anything about it. I didn't want to hurt her because I love her. I kept what was happening between us a secret, I lied to her for months to try and spare her feelings. I knew that when the truth came out, I'd lose her but the truth is Quinn, I think I already have."

"You haven't."

"She always says I love you. I fell out of love with Sophie because I was falling in love with you and the ridiculously ironic thing is, I think she's falling out of love with me too."

"You're her world Rachel; she always lit up when she talked about you."

"Past tense," Rachel mumbles softly.

"What?"

"You said lit," Rachel clarifies and Quinn's eyes widen slightly in understanding.

"I meant light."

"You were right with lit." Rachel brushes some of her hair behind her ear with her free hand. "The wedding is in five days; Sophie comes back in three days. Do I tell her straightaway or do I wait until after the wedding?"

"Straightaway," Quinn suggests.

"I don't want to ruin Santana's and Brittany's big day."

Quinn licks her lip in contemplation. "Then wait until after. God knows, the shit is really going to hit the fan once you tell her and Santana and Brittany are going to find themselves implicated through no fault of their own. They deserve their happy day; I think Santana would actually kill us if we ruined it for Brittany."

"So six days."

"The wedding is in five."

Rachel shakes her head. "No, six days until everything is out in the open."

"As complicated and as difficult as our situation is, I have a feeling it's only going to get worse when the truth comes out."

It's Rachel's time to squeeze Quinn's hand. "I'm not going anywhere, no matter how hard things get, I want to be with you Quinn."

Quinn grins. "You already are, maybe not in the typical sense but ever since we met, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

"Likewise."

"It's weird," Quinn begins. "Right now, it's almost as if we're away from everything, there aren't any complications or worries, and we can just be us. Yet in a few hours, we'll be back in New York and everything will become real again."

"It's always real Quinn."

"I know," the blonde replies. "It's just easier to pretend here that what we're doing isn't wrong. It's easier to forget about everything here."

Rachel nestles closer against Quinn's side and hums her agreement. "I know."

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**Sky27 –** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm sorry this update has taken longer than normal, I don't like leaving people waiting but I couldn't help it this time.

**A - **Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much. Yes, you were correct. I quite like how it worked out about half and half with Quinn just snatching the lead. That's not going to be close the Alison chapter though. I think you're going to be right, everybody is going to suffer but I'm glad you love drama because so do I, Quinn and Rachel are going to continue having drama even after the truth comes out. Perhaps she is, it seems that Rachel is thinking that too. Maybe she just simply forgot ;)

**Guest **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much, I'm really glad to hear that :)

**Ve **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much; I'm glad you enjoyed it. I guess that depends what you mean by screw up. I can tell you that Rachel will tell Sophie but it's not going to be on her terms so I suppose in that sense, she'll screw up. Quinn won't regret putting her heart on the line though.

**VGA** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) Well that conversation isn't the final chapter in the Alison story so I'm sure you'll get your answer. She did really fall out of love with Quinn but she knows why it happened whereas Quinn doesn't. That's a very good point and obviously Quinn didn't react too well to Rachel bringing up her past. I think that's always going to be something Rachel struggles with because Quinn's past is so much different than hers. But they'll work through it. I didn't really expect it to have the reaction it seems to have regarding Sophie and if she's falling out of love, but I'm glad it happened :)

**Lealover **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much; I'm glad you thought it had all those different components. I can't write chapters that are completely sweet, I need some angst. I don't know, I don't think I could fall out of love with Quinn. Maybe Alison will realise she made a mistake ;) Indeed, now somebody needs to show that to Sophie because I think she'll need it more than most. You're right, true love wins all. Ah cool, I've never been to Scotland. I'm proudly English :)

**Kilylou **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and their interactions.

**Lulu **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you! I don't think Rachel would have ever given up with regards to Alison so Quinn had to open up and tell her. It really does suck and I hope that the reveal and aftermath live up to everybody's expectations. I'm contemplating having the wedding in the next chapter :)

**Polux** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) They are indeed, too sweet haha. You don't do sweetness? That's interesting, I suppose it's good for you that most of this story is and will continue to be angsty :P It could be something or it could be nothing at all, clearly Rachel thinks it is something whereas Quinn thinks it could be nothing. It's more interesting when you don't know haha. Thank you very much :) Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter, the wedding might be the next chapter ;)

**Guest** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Well I'm happy you liked receiving a response. Thank you very much :) I'm glad you enjoyed it.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: Okay, here it is, the beginning of the reveal. I wanted to skip right to this rather than detail their trip back from Vegas etc., let's just say that not much happened. I'm not sure whether people wanted details of the actual wedding ceremony but that's just a background part. This is a Faberry story so Brittana are side-lined. They'll appear more in future chapters because the wedding will span a couple of chapters. I don't know how people expected Rachel to tell Sophie but I will say it's not through a screaming match, I've never imagined Rachel to be like that. When she confesses, it's just simple. Everything's been building up to this moment and she just finally breaks down and lets the truth out. Obviously there will be arguments but they're coming up so don't worry if it's not what you expected because the next chapter is filled with reactions and arguments. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Words (minus responses to reviews) - 6183

* * *

**Chapter 29:**

Yesterday, she spent the day staring out of her bedroom window watching the rain drops beat against the glass. When she was little, like most children she presumes, she would pretend the rain droplets were racing one another and always watched to see which one reached the windowsill first.

She had listened to Santana panic about how this rain would ruin Brittany's wedding day. She wasn't particularly fussed, she would have married Brittany in a quick five-minute wedding in Las Vegas but she wanted to do the whole big, white wedding for her fiancée and after months of planning and preparation, she was not going to let 'fucking rain', her words not Quinn's, ruin the day.

She needn't have worried though, as today, the sun is shining brightly in the sky with not a single cloud attempting to disguise it.

It's the perfect weather for an outdoor wedding and the worried feeling Santana had yesterday has disappeared. She wishes she could say the same for herself. She's unable to shift this niggling feeling in the pit of her stomach that a storm is approaching. She doesn't mean a storm consisting of thunder and lightning and torrential rain but a metaphorical storm.

You know those days when you have a bad feeling but you can't explain why, well she's experiencing that right now.

Unfortunately for her, her bad feelings are normally accurate.

On the day she took her driving test, her stomach had been in knots. Not through nerves but something else, something inexplicable. Needless to say, she ended up failing her test.

She was sitting her first exam in her first year at NYU when she next awoke with that same feeling. The feeling bounced around in her stomach causing her to feel nauseous but she knew, like with her driving test, it wasn't nerves over her exam. She never stressed over exams, she didn't see the point. Unsurprisingly, her exam went perfectly, yet two hours after she finished, Alison broke up with her.

Since then, she has always paid close attention to anytime her stomach has jolted nervously because it usually means something bad is coming.

Now, as she stands behind Santana in the Lopez garden, watching Brittany walk down the makeshift aisle, she wonders what bad thing is coming her way now.

Obviously, she knows that Sophie finding out is definitely not going to be pleasant but Rachel promised her on the plane back from Vegas that she wasn't going to tell Sophie until the day after the wedding so surely, if that was the case, her bad feeling should have made an appearance tomorrow.

Of course that would be mean that her life often went as she planned and that most certainly isn't the case.

She hasn't really spoken to Rachel since they landed at JFK airport. Kurt had been at the airport waiting to meet his roommate and as soon as they walked out of the gate, he had wrapped her up in a hug before dragging her away so she could tell him all the juicy gossip about Vegas.

They've spoken on the phone a few times; nothing major, just pleasantries and casual conversation but there was something so comforting about being on the phone to Rachel. There was something comforting in knowing that even though they couldn't see each other, they were still on each other's minds.

When Sophie returned from Italy, her phone calls to Rachel ceased. Not that she was surprised. She had half expected that to happen but she can't wait for things to change.

In fact, she's been counting down the days since they left Vegas.

Six days until everything would be out in the open.

Five days, four days, three days, two days.

Now she only has one more day to wait until Rachel tells Sophie. As she thinks about that final day of waiting, her stomach flips once more and she frowns. Maybe waiting one more day is merely wishful thinking.

She's so lost in her thoughts that she doesn't even hear Santana asking her for the rings and Sophie has to shove her gently to grab her attention.

"Sorry," she says, fetching the rings and handing them to Santana.

You see, that's the thing about bad feelings, once they appear, you can't forget about them.

You just have to wait until the inevitable happens.

* * *

She's not ashamed to admit that she cried at the wedding. She cried when Brittany walked down the aisle because her friend looked beautiful, more beautiful than Rachel had ever seen her. She cried when the pair exchanged vows, vows they had written themselves. Considering Brittany has never been particularly good with words, she conveyed her feelings perfectly, even forcing a tear from Santana.

She didn't really know Santana but Quinn had told her that the Latina wasn't very good with showing her feelings so when Santana had told Brittany how much she loved her and how no matter what happened between the two of them, Santana would always love her and Brittany would always have her heart, Rachel welled up. Santana proceeded to tell Brittany that even if the worst happened and she lost Brittany, nobody else would ever match up to her because once she's had the best thing in the world, nothing else would even be second-best. It can't be second-best because that would imply it was still good. Nobody was going to be good for her unless it was Brittany.

That had caused Brittany to release an indescribable noise before she started crying. Santana had wiped her tears away as Brittany complained that her make-up would be ruined and their wedding photos would be spoiled. Santana had chuckled before telling her that even with smudged mascara and blotchy make-up; she would always be more beautiful than everybody else.

Rachel cried when they were pronounced as a married couple and as they shared their first kiss. Most people didn't cry during the wedding but Rachel has never been capable of sitting through a wedding and remaining dry-eyed. There's something about them that just makes her emotional.

Now as she watches them share their first dance on the make-shift dance floor, she's hit by an unmistakable sense of longing. She can't wait to share that experience with somebody. She can't wait to share everything about today with somebody, a wedding, a first dance, a marriage. In the past whenever she has pictured her wedding day, her future spouse has, incidentally, never been Sophie. Since they've been dating, her future spouse has continued to remain a faceless blur but now, it's not a blur.

The face is pretty clear.

Except it's not Sophie.

It's Quinn.

"Dad, you're fidgeting again," Rachel scolds him lightly, smacking his hand away from his tie. It's like New Year's Eve all over again with her father acting like a petulant child over a silly tie.

"The wedding's over now, can I not remove this ridiculous article of clothing?"

"No," she says firmly. "You look smart."

He sighs heavily. There's no point in arguing with his daughter, she's as stubborn as they come. It's a trait she inherited from Hiram. There was never any point in arguing with him either.

Leroy learnt a long time ago that he will never win so it's best to just surrender.

"May I make an observation baby girl?"

"Baby girl?" Rachel repeats. "You haven't called me that in years, I thought because I was 23 now, you'd stopped calling me it."

"You could be fifty years old and you'll still be my baby girl Rachel. That's something that you're never going to grow out of."

Rachel smiles lightly because he hasn't called her that since her daddy passed away. "You were about to make an observation."

Leroy bobs his head before removing his jacket. It's surprisingly warm for March. Most outdoor weddings he's attended, they haven't been lucky with the weather but Santana and Brittany managed to avoid the rain. "I don't want you to think I've been watching you all day but I've noticed that you haven't really spoken to Sophie today," he states. "In fact, I might even be so bold as to suggest that you've been actively avoiding each other."

Ever since his chat with Rachel during the festive period, he's been irrefutably curious about the state of Rachel's relationship with Sophie. He's always been able to read his daughter like a book and he had witnessed Rachel showing these particular emotions before.

When she had dated Finn, she had started out happy and evidently smitten but over time, she changed.

Like something was different.

Now he's witnessing the same thing happening again, except this time, it isn't to do with Finn but Sophie.

When he called Rachel the other week, she had told him that her and Sophie were currently experiencing a break, a term she had to explain to him because he questioned whether that meant they had broken up.

He's never experienced a 'break' in any of his relationships.

Before the wedding had commenced, he had taken a seat in the Lopez's back yard and observed Rachel and Sophie standing on separate sides of the wedding arch. Obviously they were bridesmaids for different women but still, it was like they were purposely trying to be as far away from each other as they could manage.

The two women didn't act as if they were dating and thinking back, he's not even sure if they enhanced friendly greetings.

"How are things between you two?"

"On a scale of 1-10," Rachel begins slowly, fiddling with her fingers. I'd say probably off the scale and not in a good way."

"Will you tell me what's gone wrong between you and her?" He asks lightly, careful not to upset Rachel. "One minute everything seemed great with you two but since Hanukkah, things have changed. When she came up in December, I noticed the frosty atmosphere. It was impossible to miss."

"Things are complicated Dad."

"How so?"

She rubs her forehead lightly. "I can't really explain, at least not yet but don't worry, I am going to sort everything out. I'm going to put things right."

"Put things right?" He repeats slowly. "What do you mean by that? What needs to be put right?"

Rachel opens her mouth to speak but closes it when Brittany waves her over, mouthing the word 'speeches'. "I'm sorry Dad, duty calls."

"This conversation isn't over," he says as she starts walking away.

"I wouldn't have expected it to be."

He smirks before loosening the knot in his tie, he's still tempted to remove it completely but if Rachel thinks he looks smart, he believes her. Besides, he wouldn't want to face the wrath of his daughter if he disobeyed her. He returns to his assigned table before sitting down beside Burt Hummel and his wife Carol. He had grown quite accustomed to them when Rachel dated Finn so he's pleased that Brittany has chosen to sit him with them rather than a bunch of people he has never met before.

His eyes fall to his daughter who has started talking quietly and quickly to Sophie. He observes their interactions and they don't look like a couple, he's not even sure if they look like friends. As Sophie walks towards her seat close to Santana, he watches Rachel's face change. In a split second, it changes from discontent and now her expression mirrors the expression Sophie always used to have whenever she looked at Rachel.

The sight calms his nerves; evidently he had nothing to worry about.

Hiram did always used to tell him that he worried too much. Obviously he's reading more into their situation than he needs to and as he digs deeper, he's only finding more things to worry about.

Things he needn't worry about.

Rachel said she was going to put her relationship right and he needn't have doubted her.

Whatever was wrong with Sophie and Rachel, clearly they were working it out. If they weren't, Rachel wouldn't look at her like that.

He smiles widely to himself before frowning. He looks closer at whom his daughter is staring at, only to find that Rachel's eyes aren't trained on Sophie as he had thought; in fact, they're looking at somebody else.

A blonde woman who is staring back at Rachel with the exact same look.

He realises now that he doesn't need to finish his conversation with Rachel about what complicated things between her and Sophie. He's worked it out on his own.

Although, unlike he had initially thought, it wasn't anything to do with Sophie.

It was to do with somebody else.

"Are you okay mom?" Quinn questions as she takes a seat between her parents. Her father looks like he would rather be anywhere else but here but her

* * *

mother has a wide smile on her face. She has always loved weddings.

"I'm over the moon Quinnie," Judy replies. "I can't believe Santana has finally settled down with somebody."

"What can I say; she's matured from the rebellious sixteen year old you once knew."

"I'm pleased," her mother says quietly. "What about you? Will it be your wedding we attend next?"

"Even if it was my wedding next, I'm sure dad will be just as bored as he is right now."

Russell shakes his head. "I'm not bored," he counters quickly. "I just think weddings are a lot of fuss, the whole thing could be shortened and save a lot of precious time."

Quinn rolls her eyes. As he ages, Russell is becoming even grumpier; a feat that Quinn didn't know was possible.

"I've been meaning to ask you about this infamous woman," Judy whispers.

"Mom, not now."

"I'm sorry love but I'm a curious person and when my daughter tells me that she's finally met somebody she wants to be with, I can't help but want to know who this woman is. I don't think you can really blame me."

Quinn rubs the back of her neck. "I'm not telling you who she is. Not yet."

Her mother sighs sadly. "Can you at least give me a clue?" She questions with a hint of hope in her voice. "I'm going to be spending the next couple of hours listening to your father moaning and grumbling, the least you can do is give me something to think about."

She ponders for a brief second before bobbing her head. "Fine," she says finally. "You know, you're relentless mother."

"I think it's one of my best traits."

Quinn opens her mouth to speak before Santana taps her on the shoulder as she walks past her. "Speech time Q."

"Sorry mom, duty calls."

As she stands from her seat, Judy grabs her wrist. "Oh no you don't, you're not leaving without that clue."

Her daughter sighs before leaning closer to her mom. Rachel said she was going to tell Sophie so the secret is nearly out, besides, it's not like she's going to tell her mom exactly who the woman is. "She's somewhere in this garden."

"What now?"

"No, she was in this garden fifty years ago," Quinn replies with a roll of her eyes. "Of course now."

Judy watches her daughter walk away with a scoff and her brows instantly furrow as she scans the environment for women who could possibly be the object of her daughter's affection. Her eyes pass over a red-head who is standing near the bar because she's not Quinn's type. Her next suspect is the blonde Santana is talking to. That's a plausible option but something tells her that isn't the right woman.

Finally her eyes land on a dark-haired woman currently dancing on her own in the middle of the dance floor, her arms waving about and her eyes closed. Judy smiles, the woman is dancing as if nobody is watching. She cocks her head to the side; this woman could be the person who's captivated her daughter.

She bears similarities to Alison and it would make sense for Quinn to fall for somebody who looked like her ex-girlfriend.

The only other person Quinn has ever loved.

She sighs lightly; she might need to have a conversation with this woman after the speeches are done. Just to figure her out a little bit more.

She brushes her hair out of her eyes before smacking Russell on the arm as he mumbles about why he needs to be here. They'd been having this discussion since they left the house. Santana invited them because they were like a second family to her growing up and it would have been rude to decline. Besides, Judy loved weddings and she particularly loved weddings which featured somebody she thought highly of.

Judy sips her drink as she watches Sophie talk to her girlfriend. Rachel has certainly become one of Judy's favourite people. Her manners, her personality, her attitude, everything about her won Judy over and that is the kind of woman she hopes Quinn will meet.

Maybe it will be Sophie's and Rachel's wedding she attends next.

They do make an adorable couple, even though their actions right now seem somewhat forced and strained.

As Sophie walks away, Judy shifts her attention back to her daughter who is staring directly at Rachel. It's nothing out of the ordinary and it shouldn't worry her but it does. She glances back at Rachel to find the brunette staring at Quinn.

It's only slight, if you blink, you'd have missed it but Judy didn't blink.

She saw Quinn's lips curl upwards ever so slightly, sending a delicate smile in Rachel's direction. A smile which was immediately returned before both women looked away.

Pretending nothing happened.

In that moment, everything fell into place.

The woman Quinn wants but can't have because she's dating somebody else, the girlfriend that Quinn didn't want to hurt. Quinn's never been one for morals so she's surprised it took her this long to realise who the woman Quinn wants is.

To anybody else, the look they shared would have seemed normal but Judy saw past the normality of it.

Maybe it was the fact that the look lingered a little too long.

Maybe it was the fact that they smiled at each other like they'd been doing it for years.

Maybe it was the fact that even from her seat; she could see Quinn's eyes sparkle.

The clues have been staring her in the face.

It's Rachel.

The woman Quinn wants is Rachel and the woman she doesn't want to hurt is Sophie.

* * *

Quinn clears her throat before sipping her drink. She exhales heavily trying to calm her nerves before standing up. She's been dreading this part of the wedding for months, ever since Santana asked her to be maid of honour and now it's here.

There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, nowhere to go.

On the plane back from Las Vegas, Rachel had chosen to sit beside Quinn, telling Quinn her decision had been due to three reasons.

One, she wanted to be there for her in case the plane endured turbulence.

Two, she thought they could brainstorm ideas for the wedding speech.

Three, she didn't want to be sat anywhere else.

As instructed, Quinn ran through a couple of ideas of what she had planned to say during her speech and each idea had been met by a slight grimace from the brunette. When she asked what was wrong with them, Rachel had said, 'nothing, they just sound too rehearsed." When Quinn had asked her what she should say instead, Rachel had simply smiled and told her to speak from the heart.

She clinks her glass with her fork which ensures that everybody's attention is on her. Before she starts speaking, she feels Santana squeeze her hand in a comforting manner.

"You'll be fine Q," she whispers, quiet enough so Quinn is the only person who hears.

"I'm not one for public speaking," she announces first. "So I'm going to try and keep this nice and short like Santana's temper."

The ripple of laughter which that engineered calms her slightly.

"Truthfully I was worried about what to say today. I didn't know how I could possibly convey what Brittany and Santana feel about each other. I mean, strictly speaking, I don't need to. You only need to look at them and you can see how much they love each other. Still, I didn't want that to be my speech so I started worrying again but it turns out, it was easy." Quinn glances briefly at Rachel before turning her attention back to the cue cards she's holding in her hands. "You know what," she says, placing the cue cards down on the table. "Somebody told me that I should just speak from the heart, so here it goes. Sometimes you just know that two people are meant to be together. Maybe it's from a look they give each other or the fact that they'll do anything for the other person no matter how small. It's those people who, no matter when, how or where they meet; you'll be able to tell that they're soul mates. I think I speak for everybody when I say that it's evident Santana and Brittany are soul mates." Brittany gazes lovingly at Santana as Quinn speaks. "You know, I was never a believer in fate and destiny, I always thought it was something that belonged in romantic movies or fairy tales," Quinn states, glancing towards Rachel quickly. "Brittany and Santana made me realise that my way of thinking was wrong, they aren't just concepts of fiction, if you're lucky enough, I mean, really, really lucky, you can have that fairy tale ending."

Okay, that's not strictly true, it was Rachel that changed her way of thinking but it works for the speech.

"I had the privilege of knowing Santana for years before she met Brittany, so I could tell you some stories about her," Quinn continues, chuckling lowly to herself. "I won't bore you with those stories though, what I will say is that Santana is the best person she's ever been since she met Brittany. Maybe that's what everybody needs, somebody who believes in them and makes them a better person." This time she doesn't try to disguise the fact that she's looking at Rachel. "Maybe that's the fairy tale ending we should seek and maybe we'll all be as lucky as Santana and Brittany." She pauses before picking up her champagne glass. "So if you'll all raise your glass to Santana and Brittany. I wish you both a happy life together and Brittany; I hope you continue to make Santana the best person she can be."

The sound of everybody wishing them a happy life together fills the marquee before a round of applause breaks out as Quinn takes her seat again.

"I didn't know you had that in you Q."

Quinn smiles and sips her champagne. "Neither did I."

* * *

She returns to her seat after dancing with Brittany. Although she uses the term 'dancing' loosely because she has never been able to keep up with Brittany so whilst the blonde danced amazingly, Quinn struggled to keep a rhythm.

She used to be able to dance but after Glee Club, she stopped dancing and it appears she has forgotten how to dance well.

"You know, you needn't have been nervous about giving that speech," Rachel tells her as she sits in the available seat beside her. "I'm pretty sure I witnessed Brittany's mom wiping away a tear."

"I'm sure that was due to the whole wedding rather than my speech."

"Perhaps your speech was an integral part of her tears."

Quinn smiles. "In that case, I should be thanking you."

Rachel cocks her head to the side in curiosity. "Why?"

She's tempted to take Rachel's hand in her own or place her hand on Rachel's knee; just to have some form of contact with the other woman but now isn't the time or the place.

"You were my inspiration. Everything I said about not believing in fate and destiny was true, but it wasn't Brittany and Santana who changed my mind. It was you. You're the reason I view love and romance differently now than a couple of months ago. If they'd had their wedding before I met you, that speech would have probably been two seconds long and basically consisted of 'to the happy couple'."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"It is Rachel."

"Really?"

"Of course," Quinn replies. "The reason I was able to give that speech is because I know what they're feeling. They've met their soul mate and they can't wait to spend the rest of their lives with each other and until I met you, I never knew what that felt like."

"What about Alison?"

"Everything I thought about her was proved wrong, she wasn't my soul mate." Quinn curls some hair behind her ear. "You know, Marilyn Monroe said that sometimes, good things have to fall apart so better things can come together. I guess everything in my life has been leading up to meeting you."

"You're getting very deep," Rachel says with a chuckle. "Do weddings bring out the romantic in you?"

"No," Quinn replies quickly. "You do."

She's aware that it sounds cheesy but when Rachel smiles at her, she doesn't care.

"Hey Quinn, can I borrow my girlfriend for a second?" Sophie asks as she appears by the table. "I think Santana wants you for something, probably to praise you for the speech. It was some speech; I didn't know you had that in you."

"I'm full of surprises," Quinn says, averting her gaze from Sophie's. Since she and Rachel slept together once more, now fully aware of the consequences, she finds it practically impossible to look Sophie in the eye. Almost as if Sophie will be able to work out what has happened from Quinn's silence.

"Yeah, I've always known that," Sophie replies with a smile. "You don't mind if I take Rachel do you?"

Quinn waves her hand in surrender. "She's your girlfriend Sophie; you can do what you want."

Rachel swallows before turning to face Sophie. She and Quinn had agreed that once the wedding was out of the way, she would tell Sophie the truth about what had been happening. Yet she doesn't really want to be alone with Sophie because as things have changed even more now, she's finding it harder to be near Sophie.

When the auburn-haired woman had returned from Italy, it had been as if their 'break' never happened. Sophie had kissed her and told her how much she missed her and when Rachel had made an excuse as to why she couldn't stay the night, Sophie had merely kissed her and told her not to worry.

There's something different about her behaviour, almost as if something happened in Italy that Sophie hasn't told her.

Rachel wonders if it has something to do with the lack of 'I love you' on Sophie's last voicemail message.

"What can I do for you?"

Sophie tugs her bottom lip between her teeth before holding her hand out for Rachel to take. "I just want to talk to you in private." When Rachel falters and doesn't move, Sophie wiggles her fingers. "Please."

Quinn clears her throat. "I best go find Santana; I'll see you both later."

Rachel watches Quinn disappear and wonders briefly if Sophie noticed the unmistakable tension and awkwardness that filled the air at her appearance. She reluctantly accepts Sophie's offered hand, earning her a smile from her girlfriend. Sophie tugs Rachel's hand lightly, a silent order to follow her.

"Where are we going?"

Sophie remains silent, leading Rachel through the back yard, passed all the wedding guests. As they walk, Rachel casts a quick glance at everybody enjoying the party. Mercedes is chatting to Kurt at one table, undoubtedly gossiping about somebody else at the wedding. Brittany and Santana are still dancing together on the makeshift dance floor. Apparently they didn't want to just have one first dance, they wanted a series of first dances because you might not get it right the first time. She briefly notices Quinn's mother staring at her and Rachel can't be sure, but she doesn't look particularly friendly.

Rachel furrows her brows before Sophie leads her inside the Lopez house.

"Sophie?"

Once again, Rachel's question goes unanswered. She follows Sophie upstairs and along a corridor until her girlfriend opens a specific door and ushers Rachel inside. She closes the door behind her and locks it quickly.

"Why are you locking the door?" Rachel asks curiously.

"I just wanted some privacy."

If this had been a few months ago, Rachel would presume that Sophie wanted privacy so she could have a few minutes _alone_ with her but she highly doubts that is why she wants privacy now.

"Sophie, we're supposed to be downstairs enjoying Santana and Brittany's wedding."

The auburn-haired woman remains silent and starts slowly pacing the room. Rachel swallows hard before scanning the room they're standing in, realising that it's a bedroom. She momentarily wonders whether this is Santana's old bedroom before wondering why Sophie has chosen this room.

It wasn't accidental; she had definitely been heading for this bedroom.

"Sophie, what are we doing here?"

"I used to always stay here," Sophie finally says quietly. "Whenever Quinn and I would spend the night at Santana's this would be our room. Her parents intended it to be a guest bedroom but it kind of became mine and Quinn's bedroom away from home. We even started bringing some permanent fixtures over because we spent so many nights here."

"Is that why we're here? Did you want to take a trip down memory lane?"

When Sophie doesn't answer, Rachel becomes increasingly unnerved by her girlfriend's behaviour.

"Things were so much simpler back then," Sophie states. "Any worries I had in this room were all superficial, my favourite band might break up, I might not do amazing on an exam or nobody will ask me to prom. They were my problems during high school and I used to think that they were life's biggest problems but they're not. Nobody really prepares you for the problems you're going to face in a relationship. Nobody really tells you how to deal with them."

"Sophie, I really don't think now is an appropriate time to discuss our relationship problems. This is Santana and Brittany's big day, the day they're going to remember for the rest of their life. How about we go down and celebrate with them and we can discuss our relationship tomorrow?"

Even though she says they should go downstairs, Rachel doesn't make any sign of moving.

"Jessica tried to kiss me," Sophie announces suddenly, spinning around to face Rachel.

Rachel opens her mouth to speak before closing it as she realises that she has suddenly become incapable of forming words. She furrows her brow because she certainly didn't expect Sophie to tell her that. "Jessica?"

"She's teaches biology at my school," Sophie explains. "She came on the school trip with me and –"

"I know who she is."

Sophie bobs her head automatically. "Nothing happened; I mean…I pushed her away. I wasn't going to let her kiss me because I would never cheat on you."

"Sophie –"

"I don't know what is going on with us and I don't even know if there is an 'us' anymore but I am certainly not going to do anything that jeopardises our relationship when it's already at a pretty critical point," Sophie begins. "I thought about not telling you because technically nothing happened but I want to be honest with you. If we're going to fix us, and you need to know that I want to fix us. If there's any chance, we have to be honest with each other which is why I'm telling you."

"Soph –"

"I know I could have…should have picked a better time but I just have to get this off my chest. Nothing happened but I feel guilty. I needed to tell you."

"Sophie."

It seems like that is all Rachel can say but once again Sophie ignores her.

"I told her in no uncertain terms that I have a girlfriend, I mean, she already knew that but I made sure –"

"Stop Sophie," Rachel shouts, finally managing to attract her girlfriend's attention. She exhales heavily. "Just stop it, please."

Sophie swallows and pales. "I told you about this so we didn't have secrets, I don't want you to be mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you."

Sophie frowns. "You're not?"

She doesn't have any right to be mad at Sophie for not cheating when she's been cheating for months, emotionally and physically. She's not naïve, she knew that her relationship with Sophie was over and that the end of the two of them was inevitable but it hits her right now just how over their relationship is.

Sophie's just told her that somebody tried to kiss her and Rachel should care.

She should care that somebody tried to kiss her girlfriend but she doesn't.

If anything, it only intensifies her feeling of guilt. Sophie had the courage, the loyalty and the decency to remain faithful. Sophie was able to do the one thing that Rachel has failed to do, time and time again.

She used to love Sophie's good-nature but now it shows how much better Sophie deserves.

Rachel sits on the bed, placing her hand against her forehead and exhaling heavily. "I am so sorry Sophie."

Her girlfriend's frown deepens and she releases a short chuckle. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

The brunette merely shakes her head and whimpers. "I –"

Sophie rushes towards her girlfriend and kneels down in front of her, taking her hands in her own. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Rachel doesn't look at her; she simply keeps her gaze fixated on the ground as tears slowly start to fall. Sophie places her finger underneath Rachel's chin and tilts it upwards before reclaiming Rachel's hands. "Please don't cry babe. You know I hate it when you cry."

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Rachel remains silent, the words on the tip of her tongue yet failing to come out. "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad."

"It is."

Sophie's tongue darts out to lick her lips subconsciously. "Rachel, please just tell me what's making you so upset?"

Rachel finally manages to raise her head and teary brown eyes meet concerned blue ones and the concern in them is almost enough to make her start crying once again.

She's known for months that she's going to break Sophie's heart but now she's actually staring that moment in the face.

And it's so much harder than she ever thought it would be.

"I cheated on you."

The words come out quieter than she would have hoped but Sophie definitely heard them.

She's actually rehearsed this confession in front of her mirror, stupid she knows but she needed to know exactly what she was going to say. She was going to sit Sophie down and apologise to her before telling her that she hadn't been faithful. It would be an eloquent argument and she wouldn't be lost for words.

This isn't how she expected to tell her girlfriend but now the confession is out there, she waits quietly for Sophie to do something.

She waits for Sophie to scream or shout at her, to bombard her with questions or to start crying herself.

She's mentally prepared for any of those reactions; after all, it's her fault this is happening. She deserves everything that Sophie's about to say or do.

Yet she isn't prepared for what Sophie does.

Sophie merely stares at her for several more seconds before slowly releasing her hold on Rachel's hands. She doesn't even move away, she just severs the last form of contact she had with her girlfriend.

The gesture is so simple it's painful. That gesture wasn't as simple as Sophie releasing her hands; it was Sophie giving up on her.

That's what Rachel has made her do.

The two women sit in silence and Rachel silently begs Sophie to speak but she doesn't. Sophie doesn't even move. She blinks away a tear and as Rachel looks into blue eyes, she no longer sees concern.

She's sees something else, something she can't quite make out.

It might be confusion or perhaps sadness.

Incidentally, when she rehearsed this conversation, Sophie never said anything either. After Rachel confessed in her rehearsals, she always imagined Sophie remaining quiet. Maybe because Rachel didn't know how Sophie would react or what she would do.

Maybe because after a year, Rachel doesn't know Sophie as well as she thought she did.

That's when she realises what she can see in Sophie's eyes. It's not confusion, anger or sadness and that's what upsets her the most.

It's something worse.

Sophie's just realised she never knew Rachel at all and that breaks Rachel's heart even more.

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**Babypenguin** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much, I appreciate that! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

**A** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Sorry about that, the action is coming though. From the next chapter onwards, the action will be at the forefront of this story. I thought it was about time Rachel confided in Brittany. I agree with you, Brittany is a genius. In that case, I'm sure you'll like some upcoming chapters because Quinn shows her vulnerable side more and more. You're right, she has got something to lose, two things really and she is going to lose one of them. That's going to make her hold tighter to the other.

**Baby** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Wow, thank you very much! You have no idea how much I appreciate that. Well hopefully whatever happens lives up to your expectations. Well I'm glad to hear that. What an honour :D

**Sky27** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's good to know :) Thank you! I'm glad it was the worth the wait.

**Lealover **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm sorry, I apologise profusely. I should have put a warning at the beginning of this story that it will be more angst than fluff ;) Yeah, it was about time. They are indeed, even more so after this chapter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Kilylou **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you! I've always thought Brittany was clever, the polar opposite of how the show treat her. That's good to know. You're right, they are very complicated.

**VGA** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) You're welcome, it's my pleasure. That's good to know. Yeah, it would be best for both of them but knowing that somebody is falling out of love with you is quite upsetting especially because it's all her fault. Plus, she knows that Sophie is struggling with everything and she hates herself for hurting Sophie like this. The angst is coming. I'm really pleased to hear that.

**Polux** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) It can indeed, especially right now. Thank you :) That's how they are going to work now, if one of them has some fears, the other one will quash them and make everything okay. The truth is out there, at least part of it. Thank you very much :) I skimmed over the initial wedding details as you can see because the majority of it is happening after the vows. You'll get the truth though and I'm sure I can give you some fluff. Till then :)

**Sdiaz** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Quinn's ex will make an appearance in this story at some point, don't worry about that.

**Mars** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Well hopefully you got excited when you saw this update. It is indeed, especially at the end of this chapter. I'm sure I can do more sweet Faberry interactions in future chapters. You're welcome, it's my pleasure. They're not as consistent as I would have liked but I'm glad you don't mind.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: Sorry about the wait for this chapter, I wanted to make sure it was perfect. I hope it is, I'm sure there could have been improvements though. Like with the previous chapter, I really hope you like how I've done this reveal. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Words (minus responses to reviews) - 6712

* * *

**Chapter 30:**

_She wipes her finger across the photograph, removing the fallen tear which had landed neatly on the other woman's face. At the knock on her dorm room door, she rubs her cheeks furiously in a desperate attempt to remove the evidence that she has been crying. In spite of everything, she doesn't want people to know that this break up has affected her._

_She doesn't need people knowing that._

_She wants to stay strong and if that means putting up a façade in front of everybody, that's what she'll do._

_Santana had tried to comfort her, at least to the best of her abilities, but she didn't want to be comforted. She told Santana she didn't want to see anybody and her roommate wouldn't have knocked. Sighing heavily, she walks towards the door, pausing momentarily to take a deep breath. Collecting herself, she opens the door, her mouth falling open in shock when she sees the person standing before her._

"_What are you doing here?"_

"_I know it's been a while but I'm pretty sure you used to greet me nicer than that. Has hello gone out of fashion?"_

"_Sorry," Quinn says quickly. "I didn't mean for it to sound harsh, it's just…you're the last person I expected to see." She inhales sharply. "Hello."_

"_Hello."_

_She drums the fingers against the door frame. "You'll have to forgive me for being surprised but as I recall, the last thing you said to me was you never wanted to see me again."_

"_Well, you know what they say. It's a woman prerogative to change her mind," Sophie replies with a shrug of her shoulders. "Are you going to invite me in?"_

_Quinn bobs her head and opens the door even wider, allowing Sophie access to her dorm room. Even though she feels utterly heartbroken over Alison, the mere sight of Sophie is enough to make her feel better. She'd forgotten how good it felt to see her best friend._

_To speak to her again._

_Her and Sophie went from speaking and seeing each other every day to Sophie rejecting every single incoming call from her and refusing to speak to her._

_To go from having everything to nothing is a pretty steep fall._

_As she closes the door she watches Sophie walk around her room, stopping every now and again to take in her environment. She takes one of the photo frames from her desk and traces it with her finger. "My sixth birthday."_

"_It's always been one of my favourite pictures."_

"_I'm covered in cake and you're on the floor."_

_Quinn chuckles. "That's why it's one of my favourites; we didn't know we were being photographed. It's not a staged photo; it's just us being us."_

_She places the photo frame back down. "Santana called me."_

"_She had no right to do that."_

"_Why? It's not like you were going to call me."_

"_I thought you didn't want to speak to me Sophie."_

_Sophie tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Even if we were speaking, would you have called? I mean, I doubt you wanted me to know that you and Alison had broken up."_

"_What did Santana tell you?"_

"_That you and Alison had broken up. She didn't go into details and she didn't give me a reason. She just said that you were upset and needed a friend."_

"_You didn't need to come here," Quinn tells her. "I know you probably want to gloat. I mean, I ruined your relationship with Alison and now I've lost her too. I guess it's some sort of karmic payback. So go ahead and gloat, I deserve it."_

_Sophie takes a seat on the bed she presumes is Quinn's because it's closest to the picture frame. "I haven't come here to gloat Quinn. What would that achieve? Yes, I lost her because of you but as you rightly stated, you've lost her too. I'm willing to bet that you're feeling the same as I was last year. If that's the case, I'm not going to rub salt into the wound by gloating or saying you deserved it." She rubs the back of her neck. "That's not what friends do."_

"_I didn't realise we were still friends."_

_Sophie tilts her head to the side. "I can't hold a grudge against you for the rest of my life Quinn. I don't want to. I mean, where would that get me? I'd just end up being a bitter old woman who can't let go of the past. What you did, yeah, it stung and it hurt but I can't wallow in it anymore. I won't let myself. You're heartbroken, and for the first time I may add. I want to be there for you."_

"_I appreciate that but I also know I don't deserve it."_

"_Maybe not," Sophie replies with a small smile. "But you're still my best friend, no matter how much I want to hate you, at the end of the day; I can't, because deep down I still remember the little girl who pleaded with me to give her a go on the swing when we were four."_

"_That was the first time we met," Quinn reminisces with a smile. "You never did let me have a go."_

"_I did eventually," Sophie corrects. "Fair enough, it was only after you started crying. Who knew that would have been the beginning of our friendship."_

"_I remember telling my mom that you were being mean to me."_

_Sophie laughs loudly. "Well, I may have been mean to you but you got over that."_

"_I hardly think not giving me a go on a swing compares to our situation right now."_

"_No, you're right but I do have a point. Some things in life you can immediately move past and forget about them and others, well they take time. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I'll probably never forget about what happened in our past and I don't want you to think otherwise but that's where I want to leave it. In the past. I want to start again Quinn."_

"_Start again?" _

_Sophie bobs her head. "I'm here because I'm going to be the friend you need and I'm going to listen as you tell me what happened between you and Alison."_

"_Why would you do that though?" Quinn asks with genuine curiosity. "I'm pleased you want to start again but surely you don't want to hear about Alison. I don't expect you to listen to me talk about her. We don't need to do that."_

"_Yes we do," Sophie says. "Because Quinn, one day, I'm probably going to need you to play this role for me. I'm going to break up with somebody and I'm going to need to talk to my friend. I'm going to _need_ to talk to you." Sophie smiles slightly. "So, what happened?"_

* * *

The first wedding she ever went to was her neighbours. Hayley and Paul moved next door to her in Lima when she was thirteen. They'd been together for a few years and that house was their first one together. A year later, she attended their wedding. It had rained and Hayley left Paul at the altar. She's always wondered why Hayley left somebody she had said was her soul mate but she always swore that she would never do that.

She saw the look of hurt and anguish pass over Paul's face when he realised Hayley wasn't coming and she never wanted to be the reason for somebody to experience that pain.

Two years ago she watched as Santana's eldest brother married his high-school sweetheart. Once again, it rained but this time, nobody ended up being jilted. They kissed, they danced and they laughed, enjoying the most important day of their life.

A year later, they filed for divorce.

Brittany decided that rain on a wedding day was bad luck. Something would either happen at the wedding or during the marriage and the couple wouldn't live happy ever after. That's why when she opened her drapes this morning to see sunshine, she was grateful. She didn't want any bad luck on her wedding day.

It turns out that even though it didn't rain, something still went wrong at their wedding.

She can honestly say, hand on heart, that when she dreamt about her wedding, she never imagined the day ending like this. When she woke up this morning, she had pictured the day going differently. It would have been the perfect day. Santana would look beautiful and so would she. They'd be complimented by everybody and like Santana's brother and his fiancée; they would kiss, dance and laugh, except their marriage would be eternal.

That's what weddings are supposed to involve, they're supposed to be full of romance and excitement, yet this one was filled with arguments and tears. Weddings are supposed to make everybody feel happy, not just the couple getting married but also all the guests. Their faces should have been filled with smiles but they weren't.

Not by the end of the day anyway.

The seats in the marquee are vacant and there are remnants of mascara on her wedding dress, leaving a perfect stain on her once perfect dress. The black smudges, no matter how slight, leave an unforgettable memory of the day but for all the wrong reasons.

She didn't need a memory to remember this day. It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life and that, she would always remember. Even without photographs or memorabilia, she would never forget.

Now when she remembers her day, she won't remember seeing Santana walk down the aisle. She won't remember hearing the registrar pronounce them wife and wife. She'll remember everything else.

The shouting, the tears, the sound of a hand connecting with a cheek, the noise of which somehow managed to reverberate around the marquee.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Santana sits down, dangling her legs over the edge of the stage where only hours ago, the band had played 'The Way You Look Tonight' by Frank Sinatra, as they danced their first dance. It had been Brittany's choice of song; Santana wanted 'For Once in My Life' by Stevie Wonder but they had compromised. Since Santana had chosen the venue, the wedding cake and the honeymoon, decisions Brittany didn't mind, Brittany chose the first dance. Stevie Wonder was their second dance and in a way, that was more special to Santana than their first dance.

Everybody says that the first dance for a newly-married couple is an important part of the wedding and everybody pays attention to you. You have the dance floor to yourself. The second dance, guests start dancing as well and the attention is momentarily diverted from you. The first dance was important to Santana but the second gave her a feeling of their future. When they dance, it's just them, nobody else cares.

She likes that.

"I know this isn't the wedding you always dreamed of."

"You can say that again," Brittany replies, glancing at Santana's dress which is also stained with mascara. "We didn't have any doves to release once we were married."

Santana smiles at her wife. Brittany is the only person she knows who could see past what a disaster their wedding day had turned out to be.

"I couldn't find any babe," she says with a chuckle before growing serious. "I'm going to kill them for ruining today for you. I know they had this secret little love triangle going on and the whistle was always going to be blown on it sooner or later but couldn't they have waited one more day? This was our day, not theirs."

"They didn't ruin today." Brittany threads her fingers through Santana's. "We're married, that's the only thing I wanted from today. Okay, things obviously didn't turn out the way I expected them to." She fingers the wedding ring on her wife's finger before touching her own. "As long as I have this ring on my finger and you have yours, nothing else matters."

"They still ruined part of the day."

"Sophie was heartbroken so we can't really blame her. You or I would have probably reacted the same and Quinn and Rachel, well, they're in love; we have to forgive them for that. You should know better than anybody how difficult it is to control your feelings when you're in love," Brittany tells her. "In case you've forgotten, I vividly remember my twenty birthday party. It was my first birthday as your girlfriend and you lost your temper because you thought somebody was flirting with me."

Santana bobs her head slowly, the memory returning to her causing her to grimace. "Yeah I know. I ruined your party that night," she says. "And your cake."

"No you didn't," Brittany says quietly. "Okay, you ruined the cake but you didn't ruin the party. You just showed me how much you cared. Just like Quinn showed Rachel how much she cared today."

"I still think Rachel should have waited to confess or Sophie should have waited to react."

"Maybe," Brittany agrees. "Then again, there's no use in complaining about it now. What's done is done." She rests her head on her wife's shoulder. "Do you think they'll be okay?"

"Who? Sophie and Rachel, Sophie and Quinn or Rachel and Quinn?"

"Everybody."

"I don't know babe," Santana answers honestly, releasing a quiet sigh. "I hope they will be."

* * *

**Three hours earlier:**

After months of arguing, her father finally admitted to cheating on her mother. A drunken one-night stand with a woman he picked up in a bar, he didn't even remember her name. That's not how she chooses to think of her father now though because in the moment she heard him confess, he wasn't the person she always thought he was.

He wasn't the person who used to read her a bedtime story or purposely check the closet and under her bed for any monsters who may be lurking.

When he confessed, she had been listening from her bedroom, her door left only a little bit ajar so if they walked past, they wouldn't notice it was open. Her parents thought she was staying at Quinn's for the night and that had been her plan, except she hadn't left yet.

The second she heard raised voices, she texted Quinn and told her she would be a little later than planned.

Her parents were too busy arguing to even notice she was still in her bedroom.

She listened as her mother cried and repeatedly asked her father why. That was the question she just kept asking. Her father's explanation or, perhaps excuse would be a better word, never faltered. He'd had too much to drink and it was a mistake, one he regretted immensely. Regardless of how many times he told her he was drunk, she kept asking him why. His answer never seemed to be enough for her.

Sophie had never been able to understand that. She'd never understood why her mom felt the need to ask her father over and over again why he had cheated after he had given her an explanation.

Now she's in the same situation her mother faced, she understands.

Her mother wasn't asking him why he had cheated. She wasn't seeking justification for his actions; she didn't care if he had been drunk. That wasn't the motivation of her question. She wanted to know why her. What had she done wrong to warrant being cheated on?

That Sophie understands.

She thought she'd been a perfect girlfriend to Rachel yet clearly, she has done something wrong. You don't cheat on your partner for no reason.

"Sophie?"

Being told you've been cheated on hurts, she doesn't know why that has surprised her so much. She always imagined it would hurt, she always imagined your heart would break as soon as you've been told. She thought Alison had cheated on her with Quinn and the mere thought devastated her. Now it's not just a worry, now she's actually experiencing what it is like to be cheated on and her imagination didn't live up to expectations.

Her heart didn't break immediately; instead, it is breaking little by little each time she looks at Rachel.

If you spend months finally gaining the courage to put your heart on the line, it's not going to willingly give up.

As she looks at Rachel, she doesn't see the adorable brunette who has a passion for Barbra Streisand and is incapable of giving a simple answer to a question, instead choosing to elongate every single sentence.

She sees a cheater.

She doesn't see the kind, sweet, innocent girl she fell in love with, the girl who slipped on the ice in Central Park and unwittingly stole her heart.

She sees somebody she doesn't even recognise.

Looking at Rachel, she imagines somebody else running their hands over her body, tickling her sides and kissing her in the weak spot beneath her ear.

She wonders if this person, whomever Rachel cheated on her with knew about that weak spot. If they knew that tickling her sides incites a delightful and uncontrollable squeal of laughter from the woman.

The first time Sophie heard that laugh, she knew she needed to hear it again so whilst Rachel playfully pleaded with her to stop tickling her, Sophie continued her ministrations because that laugh became her new addiction.

She never knew why she wanted to hear it so much but now she does.

She needed to hear it because it was such a good feeling to know that Rachel laughed as a result of her, that she had the ability to make Rachel laugh.

She can't remember the last time she heard Rachel laugh.

She wonders if this stranger knew Rachel feels self-conscious about her body even before she starts undressing.

Maybe she just feels self-conscious around Sophie.

Maybe being with somebody else, a stranger, made her feel confident, sexy.

Maybe this person made Rachel feel things that Sophie never had.

It's amazing how quickly your perception of a person can change. One minute you think the world of them and the next, everything you thought you knew is cruelly snatched away from you.

They become a shadow of their former selves in your eyes.

"I know you're upset –"

"Upset?" Her voice cracks as she speaks and she hates how broken she sounds. She needs to try and stay strong otherwise she's not going to be able to make it through this conversation. "You know I'm upset, well that is mighty rich of you."

"Sorry, those were the wrong words."

Sophie finally stands up and moves away from Rachel, walking over to the bedroom window and staring out of it. A move which creates a sufficient amount of space between the two of them yet Sophie still feels tethered to her girlfriend.

All Rachel has to do is touch her and she would probably fall apart.

Santana's parent's guest bedroom looks over their back yard so she can see everybody laughing and dancing like they don't have a care in the world.

Blissfully unaware that her relationship with Rachel is crumbling while Santana and Brittany's relationship is going from strength to strength.

"Do you ever think about marriage?"

"In general or –"

"Have you ever thought about us being married?" Sophie asks, talking again before Rachel can offer an answer. "I have. I actually saw a ring I thought you'd love. It wasn't too out there and the diamond wasn't over the top but I thought you'd appreciate it. I looked at it and hoped it would still be there when I finally worked up the courage to propose. I wouldn't want an outdoor wedding though."

"Sophie."

"Would you?" She asks quietly, again speaking before Rachel can answer. "I think I'd regress to a child for my honeymoon as well and go to Disney World or something. It's unconventional so I think it would be fun. Maybe that would be somewhere to go when you have children though. Maybe it will make the experience more enjoyable. What would you prefer?"

"I've always wanted to go to Rome," Rachel admits quietly.

"Rome would be nice."

"I've just told you something which has greatly impacted our relationship; do you really want to talk about honeymoons?"

"You don't know what I want Rachel."

"When my Nan died, I knew my dads wanted to sit down and talk to me about it in order to make sure I was okay. I constantly avoided the subject. I would talk about anything in order to prolong the inevitable. Every time they tried to talk to me, I would change the topic or simply walk away." Rachel curls some hair behind her ear. "Do you think that's what you're doing right now? You know we need to have this conversation but I think you don't want us to have it because you're scared of what will happen."

"Don't psychoanalyse me Rachel," Sophie spits harshly. "You no longer have the right to act like you know what I'm thinking. I just wanted you to know that we had a future. I'd thought about our future, I even imagined what it would be like to have kids with you. I just wanted you to know those things because clearly, you didn't think about a future with me."

"I did."

Sophie scoffs. "You may have thought about it but evidently you didn't care about it otherwise you wouldn't have cheated on me."

"Having a future with you and the reason why I cheated are not mutually exclusive," Rachel tells her from her position on the bed. She doesn't want to close the gap between them because she knows that right now, Sophie needs there to be some form of space. "I didn't cheat on you because I didn't want a future with you. Please don't think like that."

"Then why did you?"

"I can't answer that with a simple sentence."

"You never can answer a question with a simple sentence," Sophie states. Something which she had previously loved about Rachel has just this second become something she dislikes because she doesn't need a long-winded response.

She just needs a reason.

"Sophie, it's a long story."

"I'm not going anywhere until you've told me."

Rachel swallows hard. "Do you really think this is the right time to be having this conversation? I know I started it but Santana and Brittany are going to notice our absence if we don't make a re-appearance shortly."

Sophie takes a step closer to Rachel and Rachel can see anger ignite in her eyes. "If you think I'm going back downstairs to act like normal with you, you can think again. You told me you cheated on me Rachel and now, I want answers."

The only thing Rachel can think is that Sophie might regret saying that. They do say be careful what you wish for.

After all, once she's told Sophie everything about what happened, when she's told her about Quinn, that's it.

They're over.

And so is Sophie's friendship with Quinn.

That's what worries Rachel the most.

* * *

She's dancing with Karen when she first sees her mom approaching and all of a sudden, she feels like a naughty school girl who is about to be reprimanded by her mother.

"Lucy, may I have a word with you for a second please." Judy glances at Karen and sighs lightly. If only she had been the woman Quinn was interested in. "In private."

Quinn spins round to face her mom, a frown gracing her features. She hasn't been called Lucy since she was fourteen years old and her mother discovered she had skipped school to go shopping with Sophie.

"What's wrong?"

Judy doesn't answer the question; she simply starts walking towards the back of the Lopez house, away from the guests, gesturing for Quinn to follow her.

"Lucy?"

She hears the humour in Karen's voice and glares at her. "You never heard that," she warns lowly before sighing in frustration. "I best go see what she wants; she'll only grow annoyed if I don't follow her."

Karen bobs her head before dancing away from Quinn and towards Santana and Brittany. Quinn follows her mom after a few seconds only to find the older woman sitting on a bench at the bottom of the back yard.

"I told you not to call me Lucy anymore," she states like a petulant child as she sits beside her mom.

"Sometimes you deserve to be called by your birth name. I always preferred Lucy anyway."

"What have I done?" Quinn asks quickly. "When I was younger, you only ever called me Lucy when you were angry with me, so what have I done in the last thirty minutes to make you mad? You were all smiles before the speeches." She tilts her head to the side. "Did you not like my speech?"

"Your speech was beautiful Quinn."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Do you remember when you were eight years old," Judy starts as she picks a leaf from a nearby bush and begins to pick at it. "You were staying at Sophie's for the night and the one thing I warned you not to do was climb the tree she had in her backyard."

"I remember. You said it was dangerous and when I said I would be able to climb it, you told me not to find out whether my assumption was correct."

"What did you do?"

The corner of Quinn's mouth tugs upwards. She had always been proud of that small act of defiance. "I climbed the tree."

Judy nods. "What happened?"

"I fell and ended up breaking my arm." Judy nods once again. "I remember being terrified because I thought you were going to be mad at me but you weren't. You looked after me and it was as if I hadn't ignored your advice."

"I was disappointed you didn't listen to me but I wasn't angry. You were a child and children make mistakes. Telling a child not to do something is like giving a prisoner the key to their cell and telling them not to use it. It's pointless because they're going to ignore the advice and do the complete opposite."

"Thank you for the motherly advice but does this story have a point?"

"Another good thing about children is they're fearless and that lack of fear helps them to learn from their mistakes. You didn't let the fact you'd broken your arm deter you. As soon as you were better, you climbed the tree again and this time, you knew which branch would make you lose your footing so you took more care and reached the top," Judy explains. "You never bothered climbing the tree again because you'd conquered it."

"I don't want to sound rude but what's the point of this trip down memory lane?"

"I listened to you cry in your bedroom when you thought nobody was listening because Sophie said she never wanted to see you again, never wanted to talk to you again," she tells her daughter. "I watched as you suffered the consequences of choosing Alison over your best friend."

It's surprising how quickly the dynamics of a conversation can change. Suddenly Quinn knows exactly where this conversation is heading and her mom didn't even need to answer any of her questions.

"Mom –"

"What happened to that little girl who learned from her mistakes?"

Quinn sighs. "She grew up."

"I know all about Rachel," Judy says quietly. "But I'm guessing by the fact you're face has just paled, you'd already figured that out. I know she's the woman you've been ever so cryptically telling me about, the woman you want but can't have because she's with somebody."

"It's not that straightforward."

"You lost Sophie once before, I presumed you wouldn't want that to happen again."

"I don't want that to happen again," Quinn argues quickly. "I didn't ask for this to happen, don't you think I wish Rachel had been single when we met or at least that her girlfriend wasn't Sophie." She brushes some hair behind her ear. "We don't always get what we want though do we?"

"You didn't have to pursue her."

"I know I didn't," Quinn says in defeat. "I tried mom, I told you that but things...I guess it was always out of my control. I can't stay away from her."

"Only you could fall for your best friend's girlfriend twice."

Quinn sinks down against the bench suddenly feel incredibly small. "Go on then."

"I'm sorry."

"Tell me how angry you are at me."

"I'm not angry," Judy reassures. "I'm disappointed."

"Well that's a relief," Quinn replies sarcastically.

"Lucy." There's that name again, the name she hates. "I don't want you to get your heart broken again and I'm scared you will."

"It's my heart to break," Quinn says quietly before shaking her head. "Besides, I don't think Rachel's going to break my heart. I think she might be the one mom."

Judy smiles lightly and wraps her daughter in a hug. "I wasn't talking about Rachel darling."

* * *

The tension in the room is palpable and Rachel can't remember the last time she felt this awkward and nervous. Everything she tries to say doesn't come out and instead her words become stuck in her throat. They've been silent for about five minutes now and Sophie hasn't pressed her to talk. She's no longer even looking at her, instead choosing to stare out of the window at the wedding happening below. Rachel coughs lightly and the sound causes Sophie to look at her, as if she's expecting Rachel to finally talk.

"You know, I can't remember a time when you were speechless." Sophie clears her throat nervously. "Was it just a kiss?"

"I'm sorry."

"You said you cheated on me and all I can think about is how you've slept with somebody else but you haven't actually said that. All you've said is you've cheated on me. Cheating doesn't necessarily always equate to sex, it could just mean a kiss. So what I'm asking is, when you said you've cheated on me, was it just a kiss?"

She can hear the hopefulness in her girlfriend's voice and it breaks her heart a little bit more. Sophie must be praying Rachel will say it was just a kiss because that means there is a possibility that things will work out between them.

A kiss doesn't necessarily mean they'll break up.

"No."

Sophie swallows. "A drunken mistake?"

She can see the hopeful glint in Sophie's eyes disappearing slowly and Rachel knows after her next answer, the hope will be all but extinguished.

She finds herself unable to find the word 'no' so instead, she meekly shakes her head.

"I'm really sorry."

"Sorry for cheating on me or sorry for telling me?"

"Both," Rachel replies honestly. "I wish I'd never cheated and I'm sorry that I've hurt you by telling you but you deserved to know."

"Now you think about what I deserve. Shame you didn't think of that before you decided to jump into bed with somebody else."

"Sophie –"

"When?"

"I'm sorry?"

"When did you cheat on me?"

"Sophie," Rachel begins slowly, finally standing from the bed and walking towards her girlfriend. She feels her heart break slightly when Sophie instinctively steps away from her.

For the last six months, it's been Rachel that's been subconsciously moving away from Sophie, now it's Sophie's turn to move away from her.

"Just answer the question Rachel."

Rachel pauses. "Las Vegas."

She doesn't know why that is the first thing that comes to mind. Why she didn't say last October because that is when everything started to change.

Sophie scoffs sadly. "So when I was pushing Jessica away because I wanted to be a good girlfriend, I wanted to be faithful, you were jumping into bed with some stranger the first chance you got."

"It wasn't like that," Rachel defends quickly. "You're making me sound like –"

"Like what?" Sophie states. "A slapper, a tart, a slut. Take your pick Rachel."

Rachel shakes her head, tears forming in her eyes. Sophie's never been this harsh to her, not that she can blame the woman. "Sophie, you know I'm not like that. I didn't just decide to cheat on you because I wanted a change."

"Then why did you?"

"It's complicated."

Sophie laughs lowly. "You know, I didn't have you down as a one-night stand kind of girl. Although I guess I'm learning that I don't know you at all."

"It wasn't a one-night stand."

She grimaces as the words fall from her lips before she can stop them and they make Sophie whip her head up.

"What did you just say?"

"Sophie –"

"It wasn't a one-night stand?" Sophie repeats slowly. "What do you mean it wasn't a one-night stand? Are you having an affair?"

"No," Rachel says, even though she's unsure whether what is happening between her and Quinn can be classed as an affair. "It's not an affair."

"But it's not a one-night stand," Sophie repeats for the second time. "Which means you've cheated on me more than once and I'm pretty sure that counts as an affair."

"I think that's probably a case of semantics," Rachel bargains.

"How many times have you cheated on me then?" Sophie questions with distain "Let's see if it is really a case of semantics."

Rachel swallows. What does she tell Sophie? Does she tell her about the times she and Quinn kissed or just mention the two nights they've slept together? She would quite like to spare Sophie any unnecessary details. "Does it really matter? Cheating is cheating, I've cheated on you. That's all you need to know."

"Oh no, you said we needed to talk so I want to know the precise details."

"Twice."

"Twice?"

"I've slept with somebody else twice."

Sophie exhales heavily. "At least now we're getting somewhere. Were both these times in Las Vegas?"

"No."

"When was the other time then?"

"Last October."

"Last –"

It's almost as if the mere mention of the month October causes everything to fall into place for Sophie. Rachel watches as her brow unfurrows and her mouth opens but no words fall out.

Sophie clicks her tongue, finally everything makes sense. She now understands why Rachel has been acting so distant for months, why their relationship has been crumbling around them. "Let me guess, the night you said you went to a bar before staying at Brittany's."

"Yes."

"You never stayed at Brittany's."

"No."

"I can't believe I bought that lie. How many other things have you told me in the past six months that have been lies?" Sophie asks but doesn't wait for an answer. "I mean, deep down I had a feeling you weren't telling me the complete truth but I didn't want to believe that you would lie to me. Part of me even thought you might have cheated on me but Quinn told me to stop being ridiculous and I thought she was right. I actually started to feel bad for doubting you."

"Quinn told you that?"

"So, who were they?" Sophie says, ignoring Rachel's statement. The use of the pronoun 'they' causes Rachel to blink quickly. Sophie thinks she's cheated on her with two different people on two separate occasions. She doesn't know that the person was the same and that their first meeting has evolved into something more than just sex. "Were they just strangers you met that night? Did you even get their name?"

"I really want to talk to you about this but I'm finding it difficult when you continue to talk down to me like I'm a promiscuous woman who just hops from one bed to the next. I made a mistake. I never wanted to cheat on you but things happened and soon they were beyond my control. Do I wish it never happened? I used to yes but it wasn't just a stranger Sophie. I mean, at first she was but then I got to know her. This isn't just about sex Sophie, it's –"

She holds her hands up to stop Rachel from talking anymore. "Please don't let the end of that sentence be love."

Sophie sounds desperate and it makes Rachel want to cry. She never wanted to hurt Sophie yet here she is, watching the woman she used to be in love with break before her eyes.

"Are you actually telling me that you've fallen in love with somebody else?"

Rachel decides against speaking because the repercussions of the truth are too hard to witness.

"Answer me Rachel," Sophie yells and it's the first time in their relationship Rachel has actually seen Sophie lose her temper.

"Yes."

Sophie chuckles dryly. "You must think I'm such an idiot. I mean, here I am thinking you've cheated on me with different people but you haven't, it's been the same person." She brushes some hair out of her eyes. "Wait, you said you cheated on me in Vegas," she announces slowly. "If this woman is somebody you've fallen in love with, she must have been there. The probability of you bumping into the same woman you met in October is incredibly slim which means she must be in the bridal party.

Rachel swallows and wonders how long it will take for Sophie to piece everything together.

"If she's in the bridal party, that means you and her must have seen each other quite a lot in recent months so you've been carrying on this sordid little affair right under my nose."

"It's not sordid," Rachel says quietly to herself.

"If she's in the bridal party, that means she's downstairs right now." Sophie covers her mouth as if she's about to be sick." I know her," she whispers and her voice breaks. "Who is it?"

"Sophie."

Sophie holds her hand out and extends her fingers. "It can't be Brittany because you've been friends for years so if something was going to happen between you two, I'm sure it would have been before now. Besides, she's hopelessly in love with Santana. A feeling I thought I knew pretty well." She puts one finger down. "It's not Santana because no offence, you're not her type and she would never cheat on Brittany." Another finger is pulled down. "Mercedes and Tina are your friends from back home so I suppose one of the reasons for Brittany not being the one is valid here, add that to the fact that they're both straight and have boyfriends." Two more fingers fall down. "Which leaves only one."

"I am so sorry," Rachel says once more and the apology has become like her mantra. "Neither of us wanted or expected this to happen but sometimes things are out of our control."

"I always thought she was interested in somebody else. I never imagined that she was interested in you."

"She didn't want to be and I didn't want to be interested in her. She didn't want to hurt you Sophie, not again. I didn't want to hurt you. We tried to stay away from each other, you have to believe me, but we just…we couldn't."

"What do you mean she didn't want to hurt me again?" Sophie's question catches Rachel off-guard. It's pretty evident Quinn has hurt her once before. Sophie scoffs and for the first time since Rachel told her she had cheated, tears well up in her eyes. "We're not talking about the same person here Rachel."

"We're -"

"I was talking about Karen. I mean, she just appeared in this group and all this time, I thought she was interested in Quinn," Sophie explains. "How could I have been so blind? How could I have been so stupid? I complained to her about our relationship and she told me not to worry."

The realisation on her face tells Rachel all she needs to know. She has just inadvertently told Sophie who she has cheated on her with.

"Sophie."

"I was talking about Karen but you," Sophie says slowly as a single tear falls down her cheek. "You were talking about Quinn."

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**ICant **– Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Oh no, that's not advised haha. Although, being honest, most of the songs I listen to when I write are sad ones, mainly because that is my taste in music. I appreciate the song recommendation but there will be no songs in this story sorry.

**ImSad **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I think it's more likely that they'll be friendly than Sophie and Rachel. As above, there will be no songs in this story sorry.

**Eiki **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Sorry this update took so long but I'm glad you're enjoying the story :)

**Omg **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Please don't vomit! I'm really glad you think this story is great, that means a lot to me. Well I hope you've enjoyed the rest of the story since you were only a third of the way through.

**WeFoundLoveIn **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's good to know, that was what I was hoping for. There is a chance that they will remain friends and as mentioned in earlier reviews, (a lot of people want songs all of a sudden, unless of course, you're all the same person), there will be no songs in this story. Sorry about that.

**Guest - **Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm not really sure what 'oio' means but I appreciate it nevertheless

**R U kidding me -** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Firstly, I'm sorry that the last part made you cry, I mean, on the one hand I'm flattered that my writing made you cry but on the other, I don't really want people to cry. That's an interesting suggestion however; Rachel will not be cheating on Quinn with Sophie. That's never been the way I've intended to take this story. Sorry about that.

**Lealover **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Everybody is finding out at the wedding. Well she now knows that it's Quinn who Rachel has cheated on her with but you'll have to wait to find out her reaction because I'm mean like that. You are right to predict more angst though!

**Elmoooooooo **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much! No, I can't believe Sophie hasn't figured it out before now, although now she knows, she'll realise how unsubtle the two have been. Well Judy is neither supporting nor dissuading Quinn because what's done is done, she just doesn't want Quinn to be hurt. Leroy's reaction will probably come at the wrong time so I don't think Rachel will want to hear it to be honest haha. In the end, she didn't have to say the name because how she described her was enough. Thank you :) I thought that was the right place to end it just like I think this chapter has ended at the right point. You should read the other updates (I'm being biased obviously :P) Thank you very much! I hope revision is going well, I know how you feel being bogged down with revision. Thankfully, I'm free from it now!

**Freakanatomy **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) She does indeed. I'm sorry this update has taken so long but hopefully it's worth the wait.

**Kilylou - **Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you, yes, finally the truth.

**Polux **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Yeah, I'm glad you think that's the case because that is how I thought it should go. I spent ages throughout this story deciding how the truth would come out and in the end, there was no need for it to be a massive deal or come out in an argument because I thought her simply confessing because the guilt eats at her was better. Thank you :) Well the outcome is spreading across a couple of chapters so still quite a bit to come. I apologise for the wait with this update. Until next time :)

**Guest **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I apologise for the wait with this update but hopefully it will be worth the wait.

**VGA **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) It really did…finally haha.

**Sarah **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That was how I hoped the ending would be received; I thought it was the perfect place to end. Thank you :) They're keeping a massive secret so I thought it was quite nice for them to be discovered through such a small gesture.


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: Sorry about the wait between Chapter 30 and Chapter 31. I don't know whether this is how you thought Sophie would react or not but hopefully you'll like the way I've taken it. I will warn you, I've ended with another cliff-hanger, I think this will be the last one for the foreseeable future. I know I'm evil with all these cliff-hangers but I think the end of this chapter was the best time to end it. I just want to quickly say thank you because the number of reviews for the last chapter surpassed any number I ever hoped to get. It still shocks me that people enjoy this story. I was really overwhelmed and grateful for all the responses! I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Words (minus responses to reviews) - 5221

* * *

**Chapter 31:**

There was a girl in her high school who had a scar above her right eyebrow. It wasn't incredibly noticeable so Sophie never paid any attention to it. She didn't even see it. One day Elizabeth explained she obtained the scar from falling off a wall when she was younger, thus drawing Sophie's attention to it. After that, her eyes always seemed to land on her scar whenever they talked.

Somehow, it became the only thing she could see.

That instant is remarkably similar to how she feels right now.

She hadn't noticed a relationship forming between Quinn and Rachel, she hadn't realised how close they had become, and she never thought they would have slept together twice.

Yet now she knows, everything has become amazingly clear and she is incapable of seeing anything but the two of them together.

The faceless stranger she wondered about earlier now has a face and all those questions she had pondered are now phrased differently.

Did Quinn know about Rachel's weak spot?

Did Rachel feel sexy and confident around Quinn?

Her heart constricts suddenly at the thought of Quinn touching Rachel. She thought it hurt knowing Rachel had cheated on her but now, knowing it was Quinn, well that hurts more than she could ever have imagined.

She allows herself to play the last few months over in her head, silently connecting the dots. Now she knows, everything is starting to make sense.

Quinn organised an audition for Rachel, not out of the goodness of her heart as she said, but because she did have an ulterior motive. Even if she didn't truly realise or understand it, her intent was not completely pure.

Sophie had watched Lily grow up and the young girl always seemed somewhat wary with strangers. She has always been shy around people and it takes a while for her to become friendly with them. Yet at Lily's birthday party, Lily hugged Rachel immediately which leads Sophie to believe they can't have just met once, they must have met a couple of times.

If that's the case, then Rachel has been secretly meeting Quinn for god knows how long.

She wonders how many sordid meetings the two have had and what exactly happened between them? Did they have dates? Did they talk about her?

Every smile she's seen pass between the two of them, she wants to know whether they were simply platonic or something deeper.

Everything has been right underneath her nose for months but she's failed to see it.

Maybe because she didn't want to see it.

Maybe because she didn't want to think Rachel could be that person.

Maybe because she didn't think Rachel was capable of cheating on her.

After Rachel unwittingly told Sophie the other woman was Quinn, Sophie had moved closer to the window, creating even more space between the two of them and turned her back to Rachel. Since Sophie doesn't want to talk or look at her girlfriend, all Rachel can do is listen as the woman cries, her shoulders shaking every now and again.

Rachel's always considered herself to be a very tactile person so being close enough to touch somebody yet knowing she can't is killing her right now.

She just wants to give Sophie a hug or squeeze her hand and tell her how sorry she is.

She's never been a particularly silent person, even when she has the apartment to herself; she normally sings or talks to herself so standing in a room which is coated in an uncomfortable silence is rather difficult.

Sophie hasn't said a word for about ten minutes now, she's just cried.

When she was little, she used to play the 'would you rather' game with her dads. Her dads offered her hypothetical situations and she would choose the option she found the most exciting. Of course, most situations were things which wouldn't happen in real life, for example, 'would you rather travel forward or backwards in time?' She never needed to worry about what she would actually do in such a predicament.

Now Rachel is playing a game of 'would you rather' in her mind. She's questioning whether she'd prefer Sophie to scream at her, to actually show some form of emotion or for her to remain silent.

If she's being completely honest, she doesn't want either option to occur.

She wishes they never had to be in this predicament.

Not that she can blame anybody but herself.

"Please talk to me Sophie."

Sophie wipes her eyes furiously, ridding them of tears. Rachel releases a sharp sigh as she hears Sophie sniff before trying to catch her breath. It absolutely kills Rachel to hear Sophie cry and it kills her even more to know she's the cause of those fragile tears.

She keeps her back to Rachel when she speaks. "What exactly do you want me to say?"

"Anything," Rachel breathes out. "Shout at me, hit me, tell me you hate me just please, don't stay silent."

"I don't hate you," Sophie reassures quickly. "And I would never hit you."

"I deserve it."

"I'm not going to disagree with you."

"Do you –"

"I'm trying to process this," Sophie interrupts. "It's not every day I find out my girlfriend has been sleeping with my best friend so excuse me but I need time to deal with everything."

"Can you at least turn around so I'm not talking to your back?"

Sophie holds her hand up. "I can't really look at you right now Rachel."

Rachel bobs her head in understanding even though Sophie can't see her.

"If I look at you, I see Quinn."

The name sticks in her throat and she feels nausea surfacing at the thought of the two women together.

"If I look at you, I don't see the person I fell in love with," Sophie continues. "You know, I think I fell for you the moment I saw you. As soon as I looked into your eyes, as cliché as it sounds, I think it was love at first sight. You can fall in love in a second but you can also fall out of love in a second."

"Sophie –"

"You slept with Quinn."

It's not a question; it's a statement so Rachel chooses not to answer. Sophie doesn't need to hear a 'yes' right now, she just needs to think thing through.

"You slept with Quinn knowing full well she was my best friend. I really didn't think you were the type of person who would do something so unbelievably cruel."

"No." Rachel is quick to interject. "I didn't know who she was when we met."

"Right, because Quinn is such a popular name."

"Well, it's not exactly the rarest of names either," Rachel replies. "Obviously there will be some people who have it as their first name. Aside from that, it's actually quite a common surname and some people prefer to use their surname rather than their forename, therefore the probability of people who use the name _Quinn_ increases. That being said, the likelihood of the Quinn I met in the bar being the same Quinn as your best friend is rather slim."

Sophie spins around to face the other woman. "God Rachel, can you just answer a question with a simple fucking answer for once!"

Rachel's eyes widen ever so slightly before she ducks her head. "I'm sorry."

She sighs heavily once Rachel ducks her head and guilt surges through her. She's the one who has been cheated on yet she's feeling guilty for shouting at Rachel. "I told you about Quinn." This time when she speaks, her voice is gentle.

"Actually in our conversations you normally referred to your best friend as Q," Rachel tells her, wondering whether she should continue to speak or if a longer answer will only annoy Sophie. When Sophie tilts her head a little, Rachel continues. "I'm sure you called her Quinn a few times when we first met but like I said, I had no idea the Quinn I met was your Quinn."

Sophie scoffs. "She's not _my_ Quinn."

There it is, the first sign her friendship with Quinn is over while Quinn remains completely unaware what is happening.

"If you didn't know who she was when you first met, when did you realise?"

"Santana and Brittany's Halloween party."

Sophie rubs her eyes harshly, preventing more tears from appearing. "The party I convinced you to go to. If I had never suggested that –"

"We still would have met eventually," Rachel tells her. "She's your best friend; we were always going to meet. The only thing which was questionable was when we were going to meet."

"She's not my best friend."

"Sophie, don't you think you're being slightly too hasty in making that decision."

"Hasty?" Sophie spits, taking a step closer to Rachel. "She slept with you Rachel; I don't think I'm being hasty in the slightest."

"It wasn't just her choice," Rachel argues. "You're acting as if she controlled the entire situation. She didn't force me to do anything. We're both consenting adults, every decision we made was a mutual one."

"I trusted Quinn. I told her things about us," Sophie explains slowly. "I talked about you to her all the time. I told her how beautiful you were and all your little quirks which made you endearing to me. I told her how lucky I was to find you and how I couldn't believe somebody like you would want me. I told her you were like nobody else I'd ever met."

Rachel frowns lightly, she wasn't aware of that.

"I confided in her about us and our relationship. When I started having worries about us, she was the first person I turned to. I told her I thought there might be somebody else and she said you would never cheat on me. I believe her exact words were 'she's devoted to you.' She knew she was the reason our relationship was deteriorating. She must have loved having me confide in her when she knew the reason all along. I bet you both did, did you have a good laugh at me? Stupid, naive Sophie!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Rachel tells her harshly. "She didn't enjoy a single minute of what happened. Neither of us did."

Sophie raises her right eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe." Sophie curls some hair behind her ear. "The whole time you two were enjoying your little affair."

"No," Rachel replies firmly. "It wasn't like that, I told you Sophie, we didn't have an affair."

"But you had already slept with her at that point."

"Yes, I had already slept with her."

"How many times have you been with her?"

"I told you, twice."

"No, I'm not talking about sex," Sophie clarifies, sniffing lightly. "I mean, you must have been meeting up in secret while we were dating. How many times has that happened? How many times have you kissed her?"

"Sophie, knowing the specific details isn't going to make this any easier for, if anything, it will make it more difficult to deal with."

Sophie closes the space between the two of them and dabs Rachel in the chest with her finger. "Don't you dare tell me what is better for me! I want to know."

Rachel flinches at the venom in her girlfriend's voice or perhaps it would be better to call her an ex-girlfriend, a friend or something else entirely. She's not sure what to call her anymore.

"We've kissed a couple of times," Rachel confesses. "I can't remember how many times."

"Let me get this straight," Sophie says, her voice calmer than earlier. "You slept with her in October, met her again at the Halloween party where you figured out who she was." Rachel nods along as Sophie places their movements, their moments together, on a timeline. "We had the dinner party where she told me you seemed lovely; I guess we both know why she said that. We saw her at Christmas -" Sophie trails off before widening her eyes. "Is that why you wanted to go watch It's a Wonderful Life?" She questions. "You wanted to see Quinn."

"Yes."

Sophie remains silent for several seconds before clearing her throat. "You're the reason she flew to Lima for New Year's Eve as well."

"Yes."

"She organised a Broadway audition for you," Sophie continues, returning to her timeline of events. "I started talking to her about my doubts and worries and then you both went to Vegas. Have I missed anything out?"

Only the times she and Quinn have had too much to drink and turned up at the other person's apartment and the stolen kisses they have shared.

"No."

"Is she the reason you started to flinch every time I touched you?"

"I didn't flinch," Rachel defends. "I quickly realised my feelings for Quinn surpassed a friendship. I really liked her and things just didn't feel right between you and I anymore. I didn't want to lead you on by being intimate with you."

"Lead me on?" Sophie repeats. "You were dating me and all the while falling in love with my best friend. By keeping that a secret, you were leading me on. For the past few months I've thought we had a future but clearly we didn't and you knew that. Rachel, you may as well have slept with me because you have been leading me on for months anyway."

"I didn't know what was going to happen," she replies honestly. "I thought there might be a chance for us."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying."

"If you thought there was a chance for us, you would have worked harder in this relationship. You pulled away Rachel. I tried, I was willing to fight for you but you, you were ready to give up. You didn't want us to work."

"That's not true."

"Why didn't you just break up with me?" Sophie asks, her voice breaking as she speaks. "After you slept with her the first time, why didn't you just tell me? Why keep it a secret for months?"

"I didn't want to hurt or lose you Sophie."

"And you thought lying to me for months was going to ensure that didn't happen?"

"In hindsight, I know I should have dealt with everything better. I've never been in this situation before."

"That's the understatement of the century right there Rachel." Sophie fiddles with her fingers nervously. "You know the irony of what you've just said, the whole I didn't want to hurt you thing, you've hurt me more now than you would have if you'd just been honest from the start."

"I know and I deeply regret that."

Sophie pinches the bridge of her nose as a fresh wave of tears well up in her eyes. She takes a seat on the bed and buries her head in her hands. "What did I do Rachel?" The words are mumbled against her hands but Rachel manages to make them out.

"What do you mean?"

"What did I do wrong?" Sophie clarifies, raising her head. "I must have done something to push you away."

Rachel's breath catches as she witnesses how heartbroken Sophie looks, with her bloodshot eyes and flushed cheeks.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Rachel confirms, hoping to quash Sophie's doubts. "I met Quinn completely by accident and things soon spiralled out of control. Feelings appeared even though neither of us expected them to and eventually, they began to grow. It wasn't anything to do with what you had or hadn't done."

"Something must have been wrong in our relationship though."

"No, Sophie I told you –"

"If we were completely okay, you wouldn't have disappeared to drown your sorrows in some bar. I know we argued but you should have come back to me on the anniversary of your dad's death. Do you know how worried I was about you? When you stormed out, I had no idea where you were going. I kept ringing you and if you really cared, you would have answered. You would have come back, even if you were drunk, you should have come back."

"I know."

"When I have a bad day, do you know what I think about?" Rachel shakes her head. "I think about coming home to you and having a conversation about nothing, eating junk food while you scold me for being unhealthy. No matter what is wrong, you always manage to make things better and that's why I think about coming to you when I'm upset. Clearly you don't share that sentiment.

"I went to the bar because I wanted to see if Brittany was right when she said alcohol makes things better," Rachel says, repeating what she had told Sophie a couple of months earlier when Sophie had asked. "I never lied to you about that. The truth is, when I left your apartment, the bar was the first thing which came to mind."

"I think that speaks volumes Rachel."

"The next morning, I wished I'd gone back to yours or gone home but you can't change your past Sophie. I couldn't change what had happened, no matter how much I wanted to."

Rachel sits beside Sophie on the bed, waiting for the order to move away from her but Sophie remains silent.

"I understand why you were tempted to cheat. I mean, everybody faces temptation. I faced it the other week but I didn't act on it because of you. You wouldn't have acted on it unless you wanted to, so clearly; you don't care about me as much as I care about you."

"Please don't put how much I care about you on some sort of scale. It doesn't work like that."

"Let's be honest though, I have always cared more about you than you have for me."

"No, I'm not going to play this game with you Sophie."

Sophie shifts suddenly and nuzzles her nose against the crook of Rachel's neck. Rachel inhales sharply at the action but doesn't move. "Do you love me?" Sophie places a light kiss on Rachel's pulse point.

"Yes."

Sophie pulls back slightly before kissing Rachel. Rachel closes her eyes immediately when Sophie kisses her, out of habit. She can feel Sophie's desperation and want in the kiss but Rachel can't do this. It's only going to hurt Sophie more.

She places her hands on the other woman's chest and pushes her away softly. "I'm just not in love with you anymore Sophie."

Those nine words bring an end to what would have become an incredibly bittersweet moment.

"Don't beat around the bush for my benefit will you."

"I'm sorry Sophie."

Sophie sniffs once more. "Were you ever in love with me?"

"Of course I was. Don't ever doubt that."

"Don't ever doubt that?" Sophie questions. "I've just found out our entire relationship has pretty much been an entire lie and you're asking me not to doubt whether you loved me? I think I have every right to do that. I mean...just how long have you been lying to me Rachel?"

"Too long."

"Do you want to know what bothers me the most about all of this?" She speaks again before Rachel can offer an answer. "I get it."

"Get what?"

"I know why you wanted to be with Quinn. She's gorgeous and she always knows exactly what to say, plus, she's an amazing flirt. I'm not surprised you slept with her, she can charm anybody into bed." Rachel swallows, feeling slightly annoyed by that comment because she isn't anybody, at least, she doesn't think she is yet she allows Sophie to speak. "When we were 15, I started looking at her in a slightly different way. She'd blossomed from this nerdy, chubby girl to a stunning cheerleader who people desperately wanted to know. I'm not going to lie, I thought she was hot."

"You did?"

"I've always been envious of Quinn," Sophie admits. "She's always had it all and everything is easy for her. She can click her fingers and have anybody she wants whereas I spend time trying to make things work with somebody I love only to watch it crumble around me." The auburn-haired woman clears her throat and wipes her eyes. "Let me tell you something though, you are not the first person Quinn has swept off their feet and you certainly won't be the last."

"I don't think you can lump me together with everybody else Quinn has been with. I'm not like them and she's not the same with me. Do you really think I would have fallen for her if she treated me like a one-night stand? If she didn't feel the same way about me."

"How do you know she's not the same with you?" Sophie asks. "You don't know her like I do."

"I know her a lot better than you think."

Sophie's voice breaks once more as she speaks. "Evidently."

"I didn't mean it like that. She's told me about her past."

"I bet she approached you in the bar, not the other way round," Sophie begins, brushing some of Rachel's hair out of her eyes. "She's always had a thing for brunettes. She offered to buy you a drink, threw a couple of compliments your way, probably analysed you causing you to wonder how she knows those things about you." Rachel remains quiet because Sophie's right so far. "I bet she walked away from you and you were the one who made the first move."

Rachel frowns. She was the one to make the first move. She kissed Quinn outside the bar and in the theatre, not the other way round.

"She prefers it when other people make the first move; it's some weird form on control she enjoys."

"My relationship with Quinn isn't the same."

She's unsure whether she's trying to convince Sophie or herself.

"Are you sure about that?" Sophie questions lightly. "One thing I can safely guarantee about Quinn is she loves the chase. That's where the thrill is, not in the capture."

"Stop it."

"Why? Are you worried you were just a game to her?"

"I was – I'm not a game to her."

"Are you sure about that?" She asks again before shaking her head softly. Even though she's heartbroken right now, she'll be even angrier at Quinn if Rachel us just a game to her. She'll hate Quinn even more if the blonde is willing to jeopardise their friendship for a game. Her eyes glance at the bracelet Rachel's wearing on her right wrist, her original charm bracelet. The one Sophie bought her has disappeared.

"You never left that at Brittany's did you? I mean, if you never stayed there, you can't have."

"No."

"Did you leave it at Quinn's?"

"Yes."

Sophie laughs dryly. "So she had it fixed for you, how very thoughtful. Did you buy the charm?"

"No, she did."

"Of course she did. Everything has been so obvious, neither of you have been subtle about this little secret yet I haven't figured it out. I feel like such an idiot, how could I have been so blind?"

"You're not an idiot."

"You and I both know that's a lie."

"I really am sorry Sophie; I wish this had never happened."

"Was it worth it?" Sophie asks incredibly quiet, almost as if she's afraid of hearing the answer. "Everything you and her have done, was it worth it?"

"I wish things had been different and you never had to be hurt in the process."

"That's not an answer Rachel," she says quietly. "If you had the choice to do it all again, would you?"

A knock at the door interrupts the pair of them and Rachel's answer remains on the tip of her tongue.

"There you two are," Brittany enters the room with a wide smile on her face. "We're about to do some of the photographs and we kind of need our bridesmaids."

"We're coming," Sophie announces, standing up quickly.

"Is everything okay?"

Sophie nods fervently. "Perfect, don't worry."

Brittany hovers for a second, sensing Sophie is lying to her but she doesn't press the matter anymore. Their business is their business. "See you down there." She sends a fleeting look in Rachel's direction but Rachel's gaze hasn't wavered once from Sophie.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going downstairs for the photos," she replies with an impressively stoic expression. She checks her reflection in a mirror and prays her eyes aren't a giveaway she's been crying. "You did just hear Brittany right? We're needed downstairs."

"That's not what I meant and you know that."

"What exactly did you mean?"

Sophie's calmness is ridiculously unnerving, not because Rachel wants Sophie to lose her temper but because she knows that any moment, something is going to trigger her reaction and she's basically going to detonate.

It's the waiting which is unbearable.

"I know you're really angry with me and Quinn right now and you're upset but please, don't do anything rash."

"You lost the right to tell me what to do the minute you slept with Quinn."

"Sophie, what are you going to do?"

Sophie looks over her shoulder. "Like I said Rachel, we're needed for the photos."

* * *

Quinn finishes her glass of champagne, her gaze darting every couple of seconds towards the house. Ever since she watched Sophie and Rachel walk inside, she's been curious as to what they're talking about. What is so important they had to leave the wedding and be alone?

Her stomach flips with nerves at the sheer curiosity. Rachel had agreed to wait another day before they told Sophie about what had happened between the two of them but they've been away from the wedding for too long for it to be a normal conversation.

Even though she's only been gone for about half an hour, Quinn has missed her.

For somebody who hasn't allowed anybody to get close to her in years, being this dependent on somebody is rather scary.

Yet at the same time exciting.

"Are you alright?"

Quinn looks up as Karen sits beside her. Her head tilted to the side with a worried expression on her face.

"Do you ever have that feeling something bad is going to happen?"

"What do you think is going to happen?"

"I don't know." Quinn scratches a non-existent itch above her eyebrow. "Nothing good."

"Have another glass of champagne and come dance with me," Karen suggests, handing over her own champagne to her friend. "I'm tired of dancing alone."

Quinn chuckles. "Nobody taking your fancy at this wedding?"

Karen smiles. "Right now, you're looking pretty good as a dance partner."

Quinn beams at the other woman. "Fine," she agrees, standing and heading towards the dance floor with Karen. "I know weddings can bring out the romantic in people but hands above the waist Karen, I don't want any funny business."

Karen laughs loudly before pouting playfully. "You're no fun."

"We need you two," Santana says as she brushes past the pair of them. "Photographs."

"I guess you're going to have to owe me a dance sunshine," Karen comments as they both follow Santana.

"Where are Rachel and Sophie?" Quinn questions.

Santana shrugs before she throws the words over her shoulder. "I don't know. Brittany has gone looking for them," she explains quickly before gesturing her head towards the house. "Speak of the devil."

Rachel follows slowly behind Sophie. Only a short while ago, they walked into the house hand in hand and now they're walking as far away from each other as possible while Sophie tries to control her tears. As soon as they walk into the backyard, it's as if nothing has happened. Everybody is still dancing, cheering, laughing and drinking, enjoying Brittany and Santana's special, unaware of what is happening with her and Sophie.

Somehow Rachel doesn't think that unawareness is going to last very long.

She watches as Sophie brushes past Karen and heads towards the photographer, her hands fidgeting at her sides.

"Where have you been?"

Rachel brings her gaze away from Sophie at the husky voice and can't help but smile when she sees Quinn. Quinn has her head tilted to the side, sending a lop-sided smile in Rachel's direction.

"You were starting to worry me."

"We need to talk Quinn."

"About what?"

"It's important."

Her smile disappears and she straightens up, frowning as she takes in Rachel's flushed expression. Perhaps her nerves were justified. "Are you okay?"

"Quinn, I –"

"Right can I have the bridesmaids all together please?" The photographer shouts so he can be heard over everybody's conversations.

Quinn makes no sign of movement but Rachel stops her just in case. "This can't wait," Rachel starts and Quinn bobs her head, silently waiting for the other woman to explain. "I've just –"

"Did you not hear him?" Santana barks as she passes them, pushing them both in the direction of the other bridesmaids. "He's getting antsy and the sooner these photos are taken, the sooner we can go back to enjoying the party."

Rachel sighs heavily as Santana guides her to her position between Karen and Tina, watching as Quinn is guided to her designated space beside Sophie. Her stomach flips with worry at the mere sight of the two of them side by side, Quinn blissfully unaware that Sophie knows everything now.

She tries to step forward when she sees Sophie move closer to Quinn but a glare from Santana forces her to stay still.

"Are you going to try and catch the bouquet?"

Quinn scoffs lightly at Sophie's question. "Why would I try to catch the bouquet? I'm in no rush to be married. I'll leave catching the bouquet to happy couples."

"Do you mean you don't like the look of anybody at the wedding?"

She has to stop herself from turning to look at Rachel. "No, not really."

"Nobody?" Sophie repeats.

Quinn frowns. "What's with all the questions?"

"I just find it difficult to believe that the woman who sleeps with anything with a pulse isn't interested in anybody at this wedding."

"Sophie –"

"Smile ladies," the photographer asks and all six bridesmaids smile dutifully as he takes one photo.

"Take a look around, there are plenty of single women here," Sophie announces before smiling as another photo is taken. "Then again, you prefer attached women don't you?"

Quinn's stomach jumps with nerves and she feels terror wash over her. "Sophie."

"And another smile please."

Quinn plasters an unbelievable fake smile on her face as she feels Sophie move closer.

"Do you draw the line at married women?" Sophie questions. "I mean are Santana and Brittany safe from you now they've got a ring on their finger?"

"What the hell is your problem Sophie?" She says through gritted teeth. She doesn't exactly want everybody to know what's happening between the two of them.

"Can you give me one final smile please ladies."

She feels Sophie's breath on her ear as a hand wraps around her waist. "I know about you and Rachel."

The colour drains from her face at the admission and she turns her head to look at her friend's face. "I –"

"Smile Quinn," Sophie orders sternly. "Apparently you're amazing at putting on appearances for everybody else's benefit."

* * *

**A/N 2:**

Allblondeperfect - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Wow, thank you very much :) I actually don't know how to respond to such a compliment without repeating my thanks but I am so grateful for what you said. It really means a lot to me. Thank you :) I'm glad you thought the pace was excellent. When I first started writing, I did wonder whether the pace I took would be deemed too slow. Hopefully what happened next lived up to expectations.

Lealover - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Is that a compliment? I think it is so thank you :) I tease only to increase people's anticipation so hopefully the reveal will be better. I was going to have another cliff-hanger at this chapter but I thought that might be too cruel.

Babypenguin - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Sorry! ;) Thank you and I do apologise for leaving a long wait between this chapter and the last.

D - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad you're sad for Sophie! I hoped people would care about Sophie and what happened to her. Thank you very much :) I really appreciate that! Sorry about the wait between chapters. Hello from England :)

A - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I know what you mean. About damn time Rachel. I do have a reason for making Sophie seem perfect, or rather, two reasons. Firstly, I don't think you have to be a bad girlfriend to be cheated on, you can actually do everything right which is what Sophie has done, everything is just out of control. Secondly, if I make her seem perfect now, I think her reaction to everything will be better because her perfect 'facade' is going to slip. She was willing to give Quinn a second chance but she can't give her another chance. Thank you :) Well that's happening in the next chapter, another cliff-hanger I'm afraid.

It's the little - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That would definitely be a complete 180 of her character. She becomes a player whilst Quinn becomes part of a relationship. You're right, she won't get her heart broken anymore and that's the route Quinn took when Alison broke her heart. She decided one-night stands were a safer option. I don't think that's who Sophie is though. She is somebody who wants to have a relationship. It will take a while before she trusts again but deep down, she's not a one-night stand girl. That's not to say she won't have one when she's heartbroken but it's not going to become a part of her life :)

LookingGood – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I do love that motto; I'm a firm believer in that phrase as well. I would say that Sophie is realising love isn't as easy as she thought it would be. Plus, she's coming across as quite Saintly and that is going to change. Appearances can be deceptive I suppose. Thank you very much :)

TheseBattleScars - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much :) I think there is a good chance that they'll remain friendly, 'friends' might be a bit adventurous, at least for how long this story will be. Well without spoiling anything for you, I can tell you that Sophie isn't going to die in a car crash haha.

Are unah I'm okay - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad you feel bad for Sophie, that's always been my ultimate goal. To make people feel for Sophie rather than just be ambivalent to her because she's not Quinn or Rachel. Thank you :) Okay, that's good. I did think you were the same person but I didn't want to answer all the reviews at once in case I was mistaken.

Sayit - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much; I really appreciate you saying that :) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

Guest - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Is that a good oh my god or a bad one?

VGA - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you, I'm glad you thought so. I know, she completed disregarded Quinn as a suspect which is only going to add to her heartbreak.

Guest - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm sorry but it really was the perfect place to end the chapter. Don't be angry with me :) I'll give you candy ;)

Omg - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm sorry you're heartbroken. Thank you so much, I really appreciate that. I'm delighted you didn't decide to give up on this story; it means a lot that people enjoy this story and choose to read it. I'm sure I can make them stay friends :)

Guest - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm sorry about the wait but now you do know more :) I hope it lived up to expectations.

Sarah - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm sorry you didn't get the next chapter immediately but you were right, it was about to go down at the end of the last chapter.

Kilylou - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) They do indeed and they keep going.

Yowch - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I know. She completely disregarded the possibility that Quinn could be a suspect because she genuinely believed that when Quinn said she wouldn't do that to her, she meant it. Poor Sophie, she can't catch a break at the minute.

Henna - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Haha, I like Sophie so I want her to be happy but don't worry, Faberry will be together :)

Polux - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much :) I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter. I did want to try and put a jigsaw analogy into the story but alas, I couldn't think of a good one. Yes, you were right, it was poor Quinn who got slapped but I think she deserved it. Sophie needed to let off some steam. Till next time :)

Freakanatomy - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I did indeed :) It may take some time but I will always update.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: These characters belong to the creators of Glee; I only own Sophie, Karen and Lily

A/N: I don't know whether this chapter is exactly how I want it but I need to upload it because otherwise it might never be updated. I've had a bad couple of weeks so I apologise if this chapter isn't as good as others. The first part, the bit in italics, is a sort of flashforward. I may end up rewriting this chapter but I'll wait to see what you all think. I hope you all enjoy, let me know whether you like it or not and as always, all mistakes are mine :)

Words (minus responses to reviews) - 5188

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**Chapter 32:**

"_Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it" – George Santayana._

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_What would you do if you could change your past? If you had a rewind button which could take you back to certain moments of your life, would you want to revisit them? Would you want to change them? If you could go back in time and make a different decision, a decision which would undoubtedly change your life, would you make it?_

_Quinn's thought about that before._

_She used to wonder what would have happened if she hadn't decided to date Alison. Her life, Alison's life and Sophie's life would all have been incredibly different. _

_It's scary how quickly life can change and all it takes is one little thing to make that change happen._

_If she hadn't dated Alison, maybe her friendship with Sophie wouldn't have been tainted with an underlying level of distrust and distain that both women pretended wasn't there._

_She always thought if she could go back in time, she would have changed what she did with Alison. _

_She wouldn't have even looked at her._

_Now, she's wondering what would have happened if she'd never gone to Paddy's Bar that night, if she'd never met Rachel. She wouldn't be about to have this conversation with Sophie and their friendship wouldn't be about to break beyond repair._

_Right now, if she could go back in time and not meet Rachel, she doesn't think she'd take the opportunity._

_If she had the chance to change things, she wouldn't. The truth is, she'd do exactly the same thing she's already done. It may be terrifying how quickly life can change but change isn't always bad._

_When she first met Rachel six months ago in the bar, she had no idea their initial journey would ultimately conclude at Brittany and Santana's wedding. She had no idea meeting this random stranger one night would lead her to questioning her morals and eventually changing her behaviour. She didn't know she would fall in love with Rachel and she didn't know that by choosing to talk to Rachel, she would end up breaking Sophie's heart._

_You never truly know the consequences of your actions until you're facing them. She knew Sophie was always going to find out, it was inevitable and she has been playing a waiting game for months, ever since she first met Rachel but now it's happened, now she's facing the consequences, she doesn't know what to do._

_You can prepare as much as you want but when you're actually living the moment, it doesn't really matter what you've done in the past or what you've done to prepare, it only matters what you do. Maybe if Quinn had handled the conversation better, she wouldn't have left the wedding alone, maybe Sophie wouldn't have slapped her and maybe she wouldn't have unknowingly caused Rachel to believe Sophie's doubts about her._

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Everybody has heard the philosophical question 'if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?' Her answer has always been yes, of course it makes a sound. She doesn't bother engaging in debates and questioning whether the tree really exists or not. She thinks that's ridiculous. The truth is, just because somebody doesn't hear or see something, it doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

Things happen every single day you don't witness but it doesn't mean they've not happened.

Sophie hadn't seen Quinn and Rachel together, she'd hadn't bore witness to them falling in love with each other.

But that happened.

Right now, Quinn wishes nobody will witness what is happening between her and Sophie. So far she doesn't think anybody has seen Sophie's hand wrap menacingly around her waist. To anybody else, it looks like Sophie is merely posing for the photograph but her hold is constricting and Quinn feels incredibly trapped.

"Smile Quinn," Sophie orders sternly. "Apparently you're amazing at putting on appearances for everybody else's benefit."

She prays the photographer doesn't draw attention to the fact that the colour has just left her face. She feels sick, like she could throw up at any second. She knew this feeling would surface, guilt with an incessant need to apologise but she had expected Sophie to cry and shout at her, she didn't expect her to be callous and hard.

This isn't normal behaviour for Sophie and she doesn't know what to do.

All she knows is she and Sophie need to get as far away from everybody else as possible. Quinn tries to take a step forward but Sophie's hand on her waist tightens. "We're not done with the pictures yet."

Quinn stiffens and stays where she is. "We need to talk."

Sophie chuckles dryly. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

"Can I have the brides and their parents now please?"

The photographer's request is welcomed and Sophie's hand drops from her waist. The bridesmaids slowly begin to disperse as Santana and Brittany wave their parents over. Quinn starts walking in the opposite direction of the other bridesmaids, away from the rest of the guests. She spots Rachel staring at her with a worried expression lacing her face before the woman starts walking towards her.

"Quinn, I really need to tell you something. It's of the upmost importance."

"Would that something be Sophie knows about us?" Quinn questions. It comes out harsher than she intended and she grimaces slightly. She's not angry at Rachel by any means; she's just surprised and overwhelmed. They had agreed to wait until after the wedding to tell Sophie. Minutes ago she had been enjoying the day and now everything has come crashing down around them. Now she understands why she felt odd most of the afternoon, especially once Sophie took Rachel away to talk. She knew something was wrong but you never actually expect the worst to happen. "If that's the case, you can save your breath. I already know."

"You do?" Rachel sighs heavily. "She told me something and it...I just couldn't contain my guilt anymore," she starts explaining. "I know what we agreed but I couldn't postpone it any longer. I'm sorry."

"What exactly did you agree?" Sophie questions as she joins the two women. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I mean, clearly whatever you two need to discuss is more important than my feelings right now. Feel free to carry on."

"Don't be ridiculous," Quinn replies quickly.

"I don't know what I feel right now, angry, hurt, betrayed, upset, it's a myriad of feelings but I think I have every right to act how I want to right now."

"You know you're important to me."

"Bullshit Quinn," Sophie spits. "If I was really important to you, you wouldn't have done what you did."

"If you'll just let me talk, then maybe –"

Sophie glowers ever so slightly before closing the gap between her and Quinn. "I trusted you." Her tone remains calm yet menacing.

"I know you did."

"Why did you do it?"

"Look Sophie, I know you must be angry at me right now, furious even but this isn't the right time for us to have this conversation."

"I think it's the perfect time."

"Do you think it's the right place?" Quinn fires back quickly. "Look around you, we're at Brittany and Santana's wedding, it's their day." She points behind Sophie. "They're having photos taken; all the attention should be on them, not us. Don't ruin this day for them."

"I haven't ruined anything Quinn," Sophie spits. "Rachel did that the moment she told me all about you and her."

Rachel fiddles with her fingers. "I know I shouldn't have said anything."

Sophie turns her head to face Rachel. "No, your mistake was not saying something sooner. You should have said something months ago."

"She hasn't ruined the wedding Sophie, the ball for that is completely in your court," Quinn counters.

"She ruined us," Sophie shouts.

Quinn isn't entirely sure which 'us' Sophie is referring to, Sophie and Rachel or Sophie and her.

"Sophie, I am so sorry." Rachel steps closer to Sophie but the auburn-haired woman merely shakes her head.

"I need to talk to Quinn," she says, her face stoic and her voice level. "You need to leave."

"I'm not sure that leaving you and Quinn alone is the correct thing to do right now."

Quinn exhales heavily. "It's fine Rachel, Sophie's right. We need to talk so it's best if you leave us alone. We'll be okay."

Rachel looks like she is tempted to argue but Quinn merely tilts her head to the side and after releasing a heavy sigh, she starts walking away, casting one last glance at both women before heading towards her dad, who has been pretending not to watch their interactions.

"You never answered my question," Sophie announces once Rachel has walked away from them, into the comfort of her dad's arms.

"Which one?"

"What exactly did you and Rachel agree?" Sophie clarifies. "It's oddly fitting you've had little secret discussions, I mean everything you've done together has been a dirty little secret. I'm sure talking about me must have been a nice couple bonding experience for your both."

"We agreed Rachel would tell you about us after the wedding."

"Us?" Sophie repeats. Even though she knows Quinn and Rachel have slept together, hearing Quinn refer to them as 'us' causes the reality of their situation to hit her.

Only this morning, she and Rachel had been 'us'.

"Yeah, us."

"So you were just going to let Rachel tell me on her own while you what? Were you planning on waiting in the side-lines until everything was over? Were you going to tell me about the part you played in everything or was that going to remain one big secret?"

"No," Quinn states. "I wanted to tell you but Rachel insisted she should be the one who told you and eventually, I agreed."

"How cute, you actually debated which one of you would break my heart."

"Sophie," Quinn says slowly.

"How was she Quinn?"

"I'm not going to answer that," Quinn says adamantly.

"Why not?" For as long as I've know you, you have been more than willing to share sex details. In fact, you relish in it," Sophie explains. "What's wrong? Have you gone all shy on me?"

"Stop doing this."

"Stop doing what? Talking to you about Rachel, about my girlfriend?" Sophie questions rapidly. "You said to Rachel we needed to talk and that's all I'm trying to do. It's not my fault you don't like the questions. If you weren't prepared or willing to answer them, you shouldn't have gone anywhere near Rachel. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."

"I can answer every question you have Sophie; I just don't think you're going to like the answers."

"Now you've chosen to consider my feelings."

"I have always considered your feelings Sophie," Quinn replies honestly. "I knew what I was doing would break your heart. I was well aware of that fact and because of that; I tried so hard to stay away from her. I never wanted to hurt you Sophie but you can't help who you fall for."

"Maybe that's true but you can certainly choose not to act on those feelings."

"I did try not acting on them but it was impossible," Quinn argues. "Rachel is –"

"Don't try and tell me what Rachel is, I know exactly who she is."

"You're right, I'm sorry."

She watches as tears well up in Sophie's eyes. "You can have absolutely anybody you want Quinn, why her?" Sophie's voice breaks as she speaks.

"I never asked for this to happen."

"Why her Quinn?"

Quinn opens her mouth before closing it. Nothing she says is going to make this any easier for Sophie to deal with.

"You have no idea how sorry I am," Quinn whispers, scared to speak any louder. "I wish we didn't have to have this conversation."

"Well that's a moot point really isn't it, because we do have to have this conversation so save your apologies," Sophie states sternly. "Right now, any apology you make is wasted on me."

"Okay."

Sophie looks over her shoulder and watches as Santana's and Brittany's parents fawn all over their daughters and their new daughters-in-law. She scans the other guests and finds that most of them are oblivious to what is happening right now but the odd one is staring at them with intense curiosity. She glances back at Quinn before brushing past her and walking further away from the guests. Quinn sighs in relief; grateful Sophie is moving away from any prying ears, before following the woman.

Sophie heads towards the set of steps in front of Santana's parents' guest house before sitting down, waiting impatiently for Quinn to copy her actions.

"Do you remember Alison's seventeenth birthday?" Sophie asks quietly, continuing once Quinn nods. "I drank more than I ever had before and ended up passing out in Alison's bedroom, after giving everybody in the kitchen a very bad dance." She curls some hair behind her ear. "Alison ended up spending the night with you rather than looking after me," she continues quietly. "If you or her had been drunk, I would have looked after you."

"I don't really understand what this has to do with what is happening right now."

"I think that was the first time I realised people always choose you."

Quinn scoffs lightly. "People don't always choose me."

"We're having a conversation about how you slept with my girlfriend, do you seriously expect me to believe people don't choose you over me."

"I know you're hurt Sophie but playing the innocent victim isn't going to help anybody right now."

Sophie chuckles dryly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, I'm already stupid and naïve, I don't need to add another useless adjective to that list."

Quinn shakes her head. "You're not stupid."

"I've been unbelievably stupid," Sophie says in disbelief. "I mean, the signs were all there, they were staring me in the face and I neglected to see them. I mean, why else would you organise an audition for her. You did have an ulterior motive."

"The audition, you're bringing up that again?"

"Were you trying to get into her good books?"

"No," Quinn replies quickly.

"So you honestly did it out of the kindness of your heart, no other reasons?"

Quinn exhales heavily. "Okay, maybe you're right. Maybe I did organise it for Rachel because deep down I wanted her. If I'm being honest, I wanted her from the moment I saw her. There, is that what you wanted to hear?" Quinn shouts. "But here's an idea, rather than point the finger at me over this audition, why don't you ask yourself why it didn't even cross your mind to organise it for her?"

Sophie pauses momentarily. "I didn't know Artie was directing it."

"So?"

"How could I organise it when I didn't have the inside scoop like you did?"

Quinn shrugs her shoulders. "You could have found a way to do it. You knew her dream Sophie, it's not my fault you didn't have the sense to try and make it happen. The truth is, even though you were her girlfriend, you didn't think about it once."

Sophie glares at her friend. "Stop trying to make me sound like a bad girlfriend when it's your fault Rachel cheated."

"Maybe it was yours," Quinn counters.

"What?"

"I didn't force Rachel to do anything Sophie; she chose to sleep with me. Maybe she had her reasons for wanting to stray."

"What reasons?"

"I don't know," Quinn replies honestly. "That's something you'll have to ask her."

"She said I didn't do anything wrong," Sophie whispers.

Quinn tugs her bottom lip between her teeth nervously. "Maybe you didn't do anything right either."

Tears begin to fill Sophie's azure eyes and Quinn knows she pushed her friend too far. "I've had enough of this," Sophie spits before shaking her head and standing. "I can't even look at you right now. The sight of you is making me feel sick."

"You wanted answers Sophie, you can't just walk away from me because you don't like what I'm saying," Quinn shouts, standing and chasing Sophie. "You wanted to talk and this conversation isn't over. I know I don't have any right to ask but please, just give me a chance to explain."

Sophie stops suddenly and Quinn momentarily feels relieved, maybe she'll be able to explain her actions. Maybe if Sophie hears her side of the story rather than jump to her own conclusions, things will be okay. Well, it doesn't hurt to dream. Dreams often fare better than reality. When Sophie turns around, her face is stoic, practically expressionless, almost as if she doesn't want to surrender to her feelings. In spite of that, Quinn can see anger and hurt masked underneath her features and her eyes still hold those unshed tears.

All because of her and Rachel.

Karen told her during their bridesmaids fitting that what was right for her and what was right for Sophie were two different things. She was right. Somebody was always going to end up unhappy. Right now, Sophie's heartbreak is caused by Quinn's happiness.

Rachel chose her.

"You want to explain? Explain how you slept with my girlfriend not once but twice," Sophie spits. "It's pretty fucking self-explanatory Quinn. Evidently I was an idiot not to realise my girlfriend was sleeping with my best friend but I don't need you to spell it out for me."

"I know you don't need me to spell it out for you and I never said you were an idiot," Quinn replies calmly. "But this situation between Rachel and I isn't black and white like you think it is."

"I wouldn't try anything on with her," Sophie says quietly, repeating words Quinn had said to her months ago. "Do you remember saying that to me?" She doesn't wait for an answer. "Do you remember telling me you wouldn't try anything on with my girlfriend when you'd already slept with her?"

"Sophie –"

"How about 'Alison was a one-time thing'," Sophie says. "Do you remember saying that? That's two lies you've told me so far, how many more do I have to uncover?"

"No, it's not like that."

"Humour me Quinn, how exactly is it not like that?"

"I didn't know who Rachel was when we first met," Quinn explains, watching Sophie frown. "Remember I told you about Elle, the one-night stand I actually wanted to see again. The girl I told you was different to everybody else. The girl you said affected me. That was Rachel; she didn't tell me her real name."

Sophie's face softens momentarily and for the briefest of seconds, Quinn thinks she might have managed to calm her friend down but Sophie's face quickly hardens once more. "Is that supposed to matter to me?"

Quinn shrugs pathetically because in all honesty, Sophie's reaction isn't what she expected and she doesn't know what else to do. "I thought it would. I mean, I guess I thought it would make a difference. If I'd have known who she was that first night, I wouldn't have slept –"

"Don't lie to me," Sophie interrupts harshly. "You slept with her in Vegas and you knew exactly who she was then."

"I'd already fallen for her at that point," Quinn reasons. "If I'd have known who she was that first night, things would have been very different."

"So everything that happened between you and Rachel is Rachel's fault?"

"No," Quinn shakes her head fervently. "I didn't say that. We're both at fault."

"If she'd have told you who she was, things would have been different," Sophie says. "That's what you've just said so that leads me to think it must be Rachel's fault because she was dishonest as well as unfaithful."

Quinn licks her lips before rubbing her forehead. "If I'd have known who she was that first night, I wouldn't have slept with her," she tells her friend who stares at her in judgement. "But I can't say I wouldn't have eventually. Rachel's different Sophie, she's like nobody I've ever met."

"I know Rachel's different."

"No matter when or how we met, I think I would have struggled to stay away from," she confesses. "She's like an addiction and the cure all in one. On the one hand, I'm addicted to her and I can't stay away, yet at the same time, she's the cure for my previous behaviour. She makes me a better person Sophie and I love her."

"You love her?" Sophie scoffs. "That's ridiculous; you don't even know what love is."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't. You don't love Quinn, you become infatuated with people and that infatuation is primarily based on lust."

"That's not true."

"You act on sheer want and desire, you don't love. You make quick decisions based on lust, hence your impressive tally of one-night stands and occasionally, you'll have indescribable passion for them but that isn't love Quinn."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Quinn bites back harshly. "I'm not fucking infatuated with Rachel, I love her."

"Like you loved Alison?"

"More than I loved Alison."

Sophie scoffs once more. "After you and Alison broke up, I distinctly remember you telling me how you thought you two were going to move in together. You even said you were considering moving to California so you could be with her."

"Why are you bringing that up?"

"Have you thought about moving in with Rachel?" Sophie questions. "Or maybe you've thought about marriage."

Quinn pauses because in truth, she hasn't really thought about the future with Rachel. Revealing everything to Sophie has been a permanent road block, preventing her from thinking any further ahead.

"Would you marry her right now Quinn?"

Again Quinn remains silent. Being in a relationship after being single for five years is a terrifying prospect on its own but factoring in marriage as well is too much to consider. Yes, she could see herself marrying Rachel but it's not something she's thought about, if she's being completely honest. What if Sophie is right? What if her 'love' is based on lust? What if after all this, she and Rachel don't make it?

"I haven't exactly –"

"Haven't thought about that?" Sophie finishes for her. "Of course you haven't because you only think about the present, you never think about the future or how your actions may affect everybody else's future."

"That's not –"

"I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Rachel. I was ready," Sophie confesses. "I thought about our future and if I could, I would have married her. You, you've destroyed everything we had and for what? Something which might not even last a month? Something which you haven't even thought about in the long-term?"

"Let's get something clear Sophie, just because I haven't thought about marrying Rachel does not mean I haven't thought about my future with Rachel," Quinn clarifies. "I don't want you to be under any illusions that I haven't because I have." She thinks back to last Christmas when Rachel had helped her and Lily decorate the tree, the photograph she took of the pair of them is still stored in her cell phone.

She often finds herself looking at it. When she tried to stay away from Rachel, she would look at the photo and memorise Rachel's features, from the dimples she has when she smiles to the way she tilted her head ever so slightly to the right.

"I know you won't believe me, probably will never believe me but Rachel isn't just some game or a conquest to me. I want to be with her. I didn't sleep with her to hurt you okay? I love her."

"She is my girlfriend and you stole her, just like Alison."

"I didn't fucking steal her from you, and I never stole Alison from you either," Quinn all but screams, unaware that slowly but surely everybody's attention at the wedding is falling to them. "I am sick and tired of hearing you say that and hearing Santana say that. Alison didn't love you Sophie, she _never_ did. I can't help it that she loved me over you and if I could have changed her feelings, I would have. Rachel fell out of love with you and that isn't entirely my fault. I know you want to blame me and believe me; I won't stop you from blaming me because if that's what you need to do, go ahead but I am not the only person to blame here. Rachel would have fallen out of love with you eventually, regardless of whether she loved me or not," Quinn continues shouting. "You may have wanted to spend the rest of your life with Rachel but she didn't want to spend the rest of her life with you."

Sophie gasps lightly before bobbing her head. "Right."

"I didn't mean that."

"Yes you did."

"I really am sorry."

"You wouldn't have pursued her if you were really sorry."

"Do you remember what you said to me after I told you about Elle?" Quinn asks. "I said I doubted I would ever see her again and you told me if it's meant to be, it will be."

"I didn't know Elle was Rachel."

"I know, but I couldn't help the way I felt about her, I still can't." Quinn reaches forward and tries to take Sophie's hand but the woman recoils.

"Don't you dare touch me!"

Quinn holds her hands up in surrender. "Okay."

"Are you jealous of me?"

Quinn blinks quickly. "What?"

"It's a pretty simple question."

"I'm not jealous of you Sophie."

"In that case, do you just want what I have?"

"No."

Sophie tilts her head. "First Alison and then Rachel."

Quinn shakes her head. "Alison may have chosen you first but she left you for me," she spits. She doesn't want to lose her temper but Sophie is really starting to push her buttons. "And Rachel wants to be with me. As you've clearly pointed out, I can have anybody I want, especially attached women. So why would I be jealous of somebody who can't even keep hold of a girlfriend?"

She can't say she's surprised when she feels Sophie's hand against her cheek.

If she's being honest, she appreciated it.

"Sophie," Santana shouts as she rushes over to the two women. "Calm down."

Quinn brings her hand up to cup her cheek, rubbing it gently. She didn't know Sophie was capable of such a hard slap.

"Are you okay?" Rachel appears by Quinn's side, seconds after Santana appears.

"I'm fine."

"Whatever is going on, take it somewhere else," Santana orders. "This is my wedding and I don't want anything to ruin it."

"She slept with Rachel," Sophie announces.

Santana licks her lips before glancing between the two women. "Take it somewhere else."

Sophie frowns. "That's it? You don't have anything else to say."

"Sophie, this isn't the right time."

Sophie's brow furrows a little bit more. She tilts her head to the side and stares at Santana in curiosity before opening her mouth slightly. "You knew," she says, gasping lightly. "You already knew about them."

"Sophie."

"You did, didn't you?" Sophie says, firmer this time. "Does Brittany know too? Does everybody know about them but me?"

"People are staring," Santana whispers but it doesn't seem to affect Sophie.

"I don't care," Sophie screams.

"Sophie, why don't you, Quinn and I go inside?" Rachel asks lightly. "I think it might be for the best. We don't need everybody else knowing our business."

"You are all more concerned about what everybody else is thinking right now than me. Do my feelings not matter to any of you?" Sophie shouts, oblivious to the attention she has started receiving. "Are my feelings so goddamn insignificant you all just forgot about them?"

"No, of course not." The answer is unanimous.

"You can't have cared because you cheated," Sophie says, pointing at Rachel. "You can't have cared because you wouldn't have slept with her," she continues, pointing to Quinn. "And you would have told me if you really cared about me," she finishes, directing her final statement to Santana.

The other three women remain silent and Sophie shakes her head before turning to Rachel. "I love you."

"Sophie –"

"I thought you were the one."

"I don't know what you want me to say," Rachel admits softly.

"I want you to tell me everything has been one big mistake," Sophie says, stepping closer and wrapping her hand gently around Rachel's fingers. "I need you to tell me you don't love Quinn."

"Sophie," Rachel begins.

"I told you what happened with Alison and you've just done exactly the same thing she did," Sophie spits.

"I'm sorry."

Sophie releases her hold on Rachel. "That's all you and Quinn have to offer, pointless apologies. I don't care that you're sorry Rachel, you do realise you've broken my heart," Sophie screams, tears falling down her face. "I wanted everything with you, a marriage, a happy family, the happy ending."

Rachel sniffs before ducking her head and wiping at her eyes. Quinn looks between the women before wrapping her hand around Rachel's fingers, much like Sophie had done earlier. "Don't cry."

Sophie laughs harshly. "What about me Quinn? Should I not cry?"

"I didn't want any of this," Quinn repeats her earlier statement. "If you want to be mad at somebody, be mad at me. I'm your best friend; I can take anything you throw at me so go ahead. Take your best shot."

"You know, you've always been my best friend and I have always loved you but sometimes," Sophie starts. "I think sometimes I have really disliked you."

Quinn feels tears well up in her own eyes but she blinks them away. "I know you have."

Sophie glances down at Quinn and Rachel's now entwined hands. "I was wrong earlier Q."

"What?"

"I said people always choose you over me but that's not strictly true. What I should have said is you choose them over me."

"That's not true."

"No," Sophie says with a dry chuckle. "So if I asked you to pick between Rachel and I right now, you'd pick me."

"You're not asking me to do that though."

"Yes I am."

"Sophie," Quinn breathes out as she realises Sophie wants an answer. "I don't want to choose, I want you both."

"You can't have us both, just like I can't have you both."

Quinn feels Rachel squeeze her hand ever so gently, barely noticeable but Quinn feels it. She looks quickly at Santana, as if she'll give her the answer she needs but she merely shakes her heads slowly.

She finally directs her gaze back to Sophie. "I'm not choosing."

Sophie blinks and allows a couple more tears to fall. "You just did."

When she walks away from them and back towards the wedding, nobody stops her.

* * *

**A/N 2:**

**Babypenguin – **Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I do apologise for leaving you all hanging. I really try to get them up as soon as possible but sometimes I am incapable of taking the chapter the way I want so I have to redo it until it's perfect. I'm weird like that. We'll say that is my form of OCD. Thank you very much :) I'm really pleased to hear that.

**Jess08** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad to hear that and I'm flattered that you chose to leave your first review on this story! Originally updates were every week or every other week but I think now a month is probably the length of time needed between updates, for which I apologise.

**Dee **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That doesn't mean you don't have a soul. Some people feel sorry for Sophie and others don't. I did want most people to feel for Sophie but I do like how opinion is split. Thank you very much :) These reveal chapters were always going to be the hardest to write because I know if I was a reader, I would have imagined how the reveal would go so I want to live up to expectations. Hopefully you enjoyed their confrontation.

**A** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much, I really appreciate that! My stories are always filled with drama and more drama; it's all I seem to be able to write haha. Well there's more 'mean' Sophie to come. I don't necessarily think she's doing it to be mean but she's just lashing out and trying to demoralise Rachel's and Quinn's relationship. Sort of a petty way of if I can't have you, nobody can (but in a less threatening way.) I think a lot of people have probably been waiting for the confrontation between Quinn and Sophie which is why it was quite hard to write because I wanted to make sure it was spot on. Hopefully I've achieved that.

**YourFan** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) You're welcome, I'm glad you thought it was incredible. Haha, please don't send it my way, I don't have the money to pay :P

**Leanmean** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad the chapters are worth the wait.

**Lealover **- Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's good and who doesn't love to be teased ;) I certainly enjoy teasing my readers. Thank you! Yeah you're right, she doesn't necessarily want to be mean, she's just hurt. Then again, I do think she might genuinely believe that Rachel is a game to Quinn and she doesn't want Rachel to get hurt. Even though she's heartbroken, a part of her will always love Rachel. That might be the last cliffhanger, then again, who knows ;)

**Guest** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's good, that's what I want. People who ship Faberry but then still feel for Sophie. I think if I can make people feel like that, I'm doing an okay job.

**Guest (2) -** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Intense is good though right? Nothing is going right for poor Sophie.

**Guest (3)** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you! That's the perfect balance of feelings in my opinion. Hopefully as the story progresses and comes to a conclusion, you'll still love Rachel and Quinn together but feel for Sophie.

**Guest (4)** – Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I'm glad you enjoy reading angst/drama because that's what I prefer to write. Thank you :) No, unfortunately Sophie and Rachel won't work out and that has always been my intention from the very start. I agree with you, people who cheat are loathsome but the subject does make an interesting story. The 'taboo' subjects always make the most interesting topics in my opinion. When you say glorify their selfishness, I suppose in a way it will because they'll end up together but they will also lose an important person in both their lives so there are consequences. I'm not going to lie, Sophie is going to do something which might appear bitchy and mean but I aim to try and justify her actions. I'm not going to make her go crazy; she's just going to do something which she knows will affect Quinn and Rachel. Other than that, I can't see Sophie becoming the bad girl. She's just reacting and I think she's allowed to do that. She is going to continue to be a part of this story but not a main character and she won't be manipulated by anybody into staying friends. She can make up her own mind. My aim with this story has always been for people to sympathise and like Sophie so I am going to try and continue that, regardless of what she does. She's not going to die. However, if she did I think it would make it harder for Rachel/Quinn to get over their heartbreak and would possibly break them. Thank you very much, I appreciate all your thoughts and comments :) Once again, thank you!

**Guest (5)** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I don't really know how to respond to OMG haha.

**Omg -** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much, I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I think the sad moments are pretty much done but obviously we're going to have to address whether Sophie actually put doubts in Rachel's mind plus Quinn is going to have to deal with being in a proper relationship for the first time in years. I've been asked this question so many times and I have never been able to give a definitive answer. Originally I think I said there would be 25-30 chapters but obviously we've surpassed that. I want to say there might be about eight chapters left? Finish at Chapter 40 for a nice round number but I honestly don't know for sure. When I feel like it's the right time to end, I will. That could be in three chapters, six chapters or ten chapters. Sorry it's a pretty poor answer but stick with the idea that this story will have 40 chapters. I think that might be the safest best.

**Jo -** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you! What do you mean? Do you never brush people's ears out of their eyes? Haha, I didn't notice that once during my many grammar checks. I become oblivious to my stupid mistakes sometimes. Thanks for pointing it out :)

**Guest (6)** - Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's been a common opinion by a lot of reviewers. She acts like the perfect friend and perfect girlfriend but deep down, she's anything but. At least Quinn knows she's flawed and accepts them. I think Sophie says it best in this chapter when she said 'I have always loved you but at times, I haven't liked you very much'. She has always loved Quinn like a sister and vice versa but their friendship isn't exactly the norm. I also think Sophie is one of those people who forgives but never really forgets and holds grudges.

**Polux -** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you very much :) I know, the waits between updates seem to be getting longer and longer but I am always working on this story. Some chapters just take longer than others unfortunately. Yeah I agree, Rachel should have waited but she just felt far too guilty to keep pretending for another day there wasn't a problem between her and Sophie. As you'll have read, Quinn refuses to take all the blame and Rachel will acknowledge her part more in future chapters. Till next time :)

**Kilylou -** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you! I'm glad you're still feeling sorry for Sophie.

**Freakanatomy -** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) Thank you :) Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait.

**VGA -** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) I do think she forgave Quinn for Alison but she never forgot about it and as a result, it was always something she could use during an argument. She says it best in this chapter with the whole 'I love you but sometimes I really don't like you'. Their friendship isn't a conventional one. I think her annoyance at Rachel's rambling was due to her anger at the entire situation but you never know, it might have started to annoy her in the future.

**Dd -** Thanks for reading and reviewing :) That's a bit harsh haha, I like Sophie :P


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